The Crazy Son-In-Law

The enemy was already close at hand; there was no room for a sniper rifle, leaving only flight or fight as viable options. Night Owl reached down to his ankle, pulling out a military dagger, and leaped into action.

A buzzing sound suddenly filled his head as a fist struck his temple, casting everything into darkness as his body seemed to float in the void before consciousness escaped him.

Bang! Bang!

Two more gunshots tore through the air, as bullets whistled past, causing Xiao Shun’s figure to flicker, leaving an afterimage. Where he had been standing, the wall now bore the marks of shattered stone.

The sound of gunfire quickly spread throughout the entire Tan family compound.

Over a dozen fully armed guards rushed over, encircling Tan Guangqi for protection.

Having seen Xiao Shun overpower more than a dozen formidable cultivators of the Tan household and swiftly take down a sniper, Tan Guangqi had been fearful until these armed guards arrived, which somewhat steadied his nerves.

Xiao Shun moved as if treading on air, covering dozens of meters in an instant, rendering the armed guards’ attempts to aim futile; they served only as a slight defense. For Tan Guangqi, this was enough, at least ensuring his safety.

The cultivators who had been defeated by Xiao Shun were now barely propping themselves up, gathering around Tan Guangqi as if facing a formidable enemy.

“Is he even human?”

“I never imagined such a powerful cultivator could exist.”

The armed guards were accustomed only to the strength of the Tan family’s cultivators. Indeed, they were powerful, but they paled in comparison to Xiao Shun.

They watched Xiao Shun’s figure flitting about, leaping over high walls with ease, reminiscent of scenes from martial arts dramas, marveling so much that they nearly forgot he was their foe.

Splash!

Another sniper was thrown by Xiao Shun into a nearby pond, creating a large splash.

Even though he had not killed anyone, the shock was enough for Tan Guangqi.

“Who exactly is this person? What is this Starline Bio he mentioned? Should I call my father to report the situation at home?”

Tan Guangqi pondered, noting the man seemed to have no intent to harm.

At that moment, Tan Haohan returned from outside. Hearing the gunfire, he briskly entered the courtyard with several personal guards.

With short, spirited hair, a lean face, and an average stature, his eyes were bright. Dressed in a light grey linen suit and wearing a string of prayer beads on his wrist, he would not stand out in a crowd, and few would guess he was Oars’ wealthiest man.

Tan Haohan’s expression was grave as he quickly surveyed the disheveled cultivators beside Tan Guangqi and then scanned for Xiao Shun.

A scream pierced the air.

Another sniper fell from a height, crashing down in disarray.

“Father, be careful!”

Tan Guangqi and his guards quickly moved closer to Tan Haohan.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Tan Haohan waved dismissively, pride in his voice, “With Tan Wu uncle here, ordinary people can’t harm me. Who is that person?”

“Uncle Wu,” Tan Guangqi nodded to the middle-aged man behind him known as Tan Wu.

Tan Wu, in his forties, wore a black T-shirt and blue track pants. His face was gaunt, with prominent temples, clearly a powerful cultivator.

Tan Wu nodded back in acknowledgment.

Having seen Xiao Shun’s capabilities, Tan Guangqi knew his Uncle Tan Wu might not be a match for him. But it wasn’t the time to bolster the morale of others while diminishing his own. Besides, Tan Wu was a distant elder of his family, so he kept his silence.

“I haven’t seen him before, but he mentioned Starline Bio; it must be related to them. He said he wanted to talk to you,” Tan Guangqi shifted his gaze from Tan Wu back to Tan Haohan.

“Oh? That little company seems rather bold. I thought some small maneuvers through Old Sha would be enough to make them back off. It’s audacious of them to come knocking,” Tan Haohan said with a hint of surprise, not having expected that someone would know the Tan family was behind the scenes.

Old Sha, also known as Sha Jiu Hai, was Tan Haohan’s sworn brother and the leader of Harrow’s most powerful underground force, the Nine Dragons Commerce Guild. They often handled the dirty work especially when public visibility was an issue.

Being Oars’ richest man, Tan Haohan was no saint.

The main business of the Tan family was construction, a field rife with disputes, and sometimes, unconventional methods were required, which was an open secret.

Companies like Starline Bio, when they came from out of town, were usually easy to handle. A few warnings, and they would get the message, either coming to beg for peace or simply leaving Harrow. But this time, they hadhit a snag.

“They have the means to hire such an expert, that’s somewhat impressive. It seems I’ve underestimated them,” Tan Haohan said with a cold laugh.

As the two conversed, Xiao Shun had already dealt with the last sniper.

The evening grew deeper, and he casually emerged from the shadows, appearing before the Tan father and son and their numerous guards.

A faint smile played upon his lips, and upon seeing the tall, middle-aged man who bore a resemblance to himself beside Tan Guangqi, he asked, “You must be Tan Haohan, right?”

It had been a long time since Tan Haohan had heard anyone dare to address him by name directly.

Even amongst officials in the Oars provincial government, they would address him respectfully as “Mr. Tan.”

Now, to be called out so bluntly by a young man, a flame of anger ignited within him.

Having navigated the business world for decades, Tan Haohan had mastered the art of composure and managed not to erupt in rage, responding coolly, “How much did Starline Bio pay you? Is it worth risking your life for?”

By not denying his identity, he implicitly confirmed it. As for his assumption that Xiao Shun was a hired hand from Starline Bio, Xiao Shun did not bother correcting him.

“As long as you are Tan Haohan, then it’s easy. I’m just here to give you a heads-up. Tell your lackeys to stop messing with Starline Bio. Otherwise, I might visit your home more often,” Xiao Shun said with a light smile.

“How dare you threaten the Tan family? Don’t think we can’t handle you just because you know a few tricks!” Tan Guangqi said sharply.

“Breaking into a residence and injuring our people, we can call the police. No matter how capable you are, can you really go against the government?” Tan Guangqi pointed out, touching upon Xiao Shun’s Achilles’ heel.

Indeed, as Tan Guangqi said, the Tan family wasn’t a family of cultivators who would seek revenge outside the law. Unlike those families, they would certainly involve the government if they couldn’t handle a situation, and with the Tan family’s influence, even Zhao Hetai might not withstand the pressure.

And without direct evidence to prove that the actions against Starline Bio were orchestrated by Tan Haohan, Xiao Shun was indeed in a disadvantageous position.