Artifact Chapter 65: Came uninvited

Chapter 65: Came uninvited

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai 

 

“None of my damn business!” Lu Ming’s face turned livid, and even someone as serious as him couldn’t help but curse in frustration under the pressure of Sang Wusheng. Taking advantage of Sang Wusheng’s distraction, Lu Ming quickly formed a seal with his fingers, cast a spell, and escaped from Sang Wusheng’s control.

Sang Wusheng sighed helplessly, looking at the person standing not far away with a vigilant expression. A trace of darkness flashed in his eyes, but he closed them in the end, suppressing the bitterness in his heart. He forced a smile at Lu Ming and hoarsely said, “I just wanted to see you, just wanted to check on you.”

Lu Ming silently stared at Sang Wusheng, automatically ignoring the strong emotions in his words, coldly observing the person who had brought him extreme humiliation. He couldn’t help but notice Sang Wusheng’s disheveled appearance, abnormal flush on his face, signs of exhaustion, and a faint medicinal fragrance lingering around him, indicating some serious injuries.

Frowning, Lu Ming endured his curiosity but eventually couldn’t resist asking, “What happened to you?”

Sang Wusheng weakly smiled, looking gloomy, “I’ve been looking for you all this time. I finally found out where you were, but something came up suddenly, delaying me.”

Lu Ming’s mind raced. He had always reminded himself to review the plot of this world every few days, so even after many years, he still remembered the crucial plot points vividly. Calculating the time, Sang Wusheng should have clashed head-on with another force in the demon realm that wanted to overthrow him, thus resulting in these injuries.

However, in the plot, when Sang Wusheng collapsed in the forest after being injured, he was rescued by a girl who happened to pass by. As time passed, they fell in love, and the rest was history. Lu Ming’s face darkened at the thought of it. He forced himself not to look at Sang Wusheng’s injured appearance and coldly said, “Leave. The He mansion is not where you should be.”

Sang Wusheng’s expression changed slightly, his lips trembling for a moment, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. He deliberately relaxed his facial expression, changed the subject, and said, “Brother, are you planning to deal with the other Sect families?”

Lu Ming stared at him coldly without responding. Sang Wusheng continued, “You’ll be busy then. Take the Sang family, for example. They’ve been thriving in recent years, and it won’t be easy to bring them down.”

Lu Ming’s expression changed abruptly. He almost forgot that Sang Wusheng was the direct grandson of the current head of the Sang family, who was exiled. The upcoming artifact refining competition would be Sang Wusheng’s chance to shine. Lu Ming’s thoughts raced, and after a long deliberation, he asked, “What do you have in mind?”

Sang Wusheng smiled faintly, “Of course, I’ll lend you a hand.”

Lu Ming sneered, “To lend me a hand? Do you think I don’t know it’s just mutual exploitation? As far as I know, the current head of the Sang family has no intention of letting you return to the Sect in peace.”

Sang Wusheng didn’t mind. As long as he could see his brother, it was the happiest moment for him. He didn’t care about a few harsh words or vicious remarks. As long as his brother acknowledged him, there was still hope. As for the Sang family’s assets, they held little attraction to him. However, since it was his mother’s family, and his grandfather was old and powerless, letting his uncle run amok in the Sang family, it was only a matter of time before they fell. How could he easily forgive those relatives who had driven his mother out of the family?

Thinking of this, Sang Wusheng smiled softly, his voice softening as he said, “Brother, don’t worry. I’ll help you deal with those people.”

Lu Ming glared at Sang Wusheng, “Killing to stop killing, that’s your style.”

Sang Wusheng smirked, his handsome face showing a hint of wickedness under the moonlight, making him look even more like a demon. He suddenly leaned forward, pressed his lips against Lu Ming’s, and then quickly jumped back several meters away, looking at Lu Ming from a distance and laughed, “Brother, consider this a reward for me leaking the information in advance. I’ll take it for myself.”

Lu Ming was furious but helpless. He could only watch with a darkened face as Sang Wusheng quickly left.

Three days later, in the early morning, as the sunlight began to shine, the front of the He mansion became lively. Hundreds of people gathered at the gate, clamoring for the head of the family to come out and greet them.

The people who came were all from major families, led by the heads of each family. They clamored outside the gate for a long time, but the two brothers from the He family refused to come out. Originally, they intended to smash the door and go in directly, but the people from the He family were detestable. They had set up multiple layers of prohibitive symbols inside and out, and the power of these symbols was extremely strong and domineering. Trying to forcefully break through would likely backfire, so for a while, they had no choice but to shout and curse outside, behaving no differently from market scolds, completely devoid of the dignity befitting a major family.

After shouting for about two hours, the gates of the He family finally opened, and two young men walked out leisurely. One of them had a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, his eyes sparkling like stars, his face like a peach blossom, and his white clothes making him seem ethereal like an immortal, exuding extraordinary demeanor. When the women present saw such a handsome man, they couldn’t help but blush, occasionally glancing at him with shyness and admiration.

Sang Wusheng, hidden in the crowd, couldn’t help but feel his blood boiling. He had to exert all his strength just to barely suppress his killing intent. A sourness surged in his heart, wishing to gouge out the eyes of these people.

Lu Ming’s eyes swept over the crowd, inadvertently meeting a pair of eyes filled with unwillingness and anger, as if they were about to jump out and cause trouble at any moment. Lu Ming’s heart skipped a beat, he glared fiercely at him, then put on an impeccable smile, bowed to the several patriarchs at the forefront of the team, and apologized, “My apologies to the patriarchs, I was delayed by some matters and failed to welcome you from afar in time. I hope you can forgive me.”

The patriarch of the Wang family, Wang Yu, who was over a hundred years old but looked no more than forty, snorted arrogantly and sneered, “Is this how the He family treats its guests?”

Lu Ming found it amusing. Wang Yu’s shamelessness was unheard of. Clearly, Lu Ming had never sent any invitation to the He family, but now that they came uninvited, it became his fault. So he smiled and said, “It’s my fault.”

Standing beside Wang Yu was Sang Huai, the legitimate son of the current patriarch of the Sang family and Sang Wusheng’s cousin. At only twenty years old, he was handsome and imposing. Lu Ming could still see traces of Sang Wusheng’s shadow in him. Just now, when he saw Lu Ming, he was also impressed by the man’s demeanor. Now seeing him adopt such a humble posture, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t show it on his face. He just smiled faintly and said to Lu Ming, “Brother He, we had no choice but to come uninvited this time. Please, don’t blame us.”

He Qingci smiled back, but in his heart, he caught the sarcasm in the man’s eyes just now and made a judgment about his character. He replied, “Brother Sang, there’s no need for such formalities. It’s my negligence. Please, everyone, come inside for a chat.”

He Qingci then instructed He Qingqiu to lead the various teams from the families to rest in separate courtyards, while the patriarchs and leaders followed He Qingci to the main hall and took their seats.

Once everyone was seated, Wang Yu didn’t bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point, “Nephew, the reason why all the major families have gathered here today is to discuss the various matters related to the upcoming Artifact Refining Grand Competition.”

He Qingci couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. They had brought so many people here, clearly intending to force a deal. What was there left to discuss? With a calm demeanor, He Qingci replied, “Please speak, Uncle Wang. I am all ears.”

Wang Yu continued, “Nephew, you must have heard about the recent arrogance of the demon race. Their power and influence have grown immensely, leaving trails of bloodshed and chaos wherever they go, with countless casualties and misery. Although the major sects uphold justice, the current situation is chaotic, and the strength of each family is scattered like loose sand. Therefore, the decision has been made to utilize this Artifact Refining Grand Competition to select a leader from among the sects and form a united team to collectively fight against the demon race!”

He Qingci nodded and sighed, “The concern of the patriarchs for the world is truly moving. However, I fail to understand the reason for such a grand gathering at the He family. Please, enlighten me.”

Wang Yu and the other patriarchs exchanged glances secretly, then looked at Lu Ming and smiled, “Nephew, you must have heard of the renowned Master GuiXu, right? A month ago, when Master GuiXu passed by the gates of the He mansion, he stopped for a long time and refused to leave. When asked why, he used the phrase ‘the land of the heavenly mansion, fertile fields for thousands of miles’ to describe it. Presumably, the He family’s location is extremely favorable, which prompted such high praise from Master GuiXu. This Artifact Refining Grand Competition is related to the long-term development and fortunes of each family, so after discussing it, we decided to hold this competition at your mansion. Nephew, you must promise us!”

Lu Ming inwardly sneered. Even if the He mansion had an excellent location, what did it have to do with these families? But now was not the time to tear apart their facade. So, he swallowed his pride and pretended to furrow his brows in thought before saying, “Uncle Wang makes sense. If we can hold the Artifact Refining Grand Competition at the He mansion, it would indeed be fortunate for the families. However…”

Seeing Lu Ming’s tone soften, Wang Yu felt that success was within reach. Suppressing his excitement, he asked, “However, what? Nephew, please speak.”

Lu Ming put up one finger, with a faint smile on his face.

Wang Yu breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Ten thousand spirit stones, that’s easy.”

Lu Ming shook his head lightly and said calmly, “One hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones per family. If you can’t afford it, then let’s postpone this for now.”

Wang Yu jumped up in anger, pointing at Lu Ming and cursing, “You’re just jacking up the price out of thin air! Shameless brat! You’ve completely disgraced the He family!”

Lu Ming couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He lifted the teacup beside him, took a sip without even looking up, and said, “Please, watch your words, Uncle Wang. Whether the face of the He family is disgraced or not is not for you, an outsider, to decide. If you dare not agree, you’re free to leave. If you want to force your way in, don’t blame me for being impolite!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ming’s expression turned cold, and his killing intent surged like a violent storm. Everyone struggled to withstand this sudden pressure, gritting their teeth and enduring it, wishing they could tear this shameless person apart without hesitation. But for now, Wang Yu and the others didn’t dare to act recklessly, and the lower-status individuals couldn’t overstep their bounds either. It was unfortunate for those cannon fodder, some of whom even fainted directly from the pressure.

The pressure continued to increase gradually, shocking everyone. Lu Ming’s strength clearly surpassed that of most people present. Indeed, He Qingci was not a soft target to be trifled with.

Sang Wusheng pretended to be unable to resist the pressure, while in his heart, he thought that his brother probably only released thirty percent of his power. His pride and admiration for his brother erupted like a wildfire in a barren field. Standing inconspicuously in the corner, no one noticed the intense and fiery gaze in his eyes. He stared fixedly at the figure in white at the front, wishing he could rush up now and hug him fiercely, kiss him, torture him, and make him show the same expression as when he was forced by him in the cave, torn between desire and pride.

That expression, as noble as a lotus, yet as seductive as a mandala, the ultimate contradiction appeared on the same person but complemented each other perfectly. This made him feel more delighted than possessing all the wealth, power, and submission in the world.

Sang Wusheng knew he wasn’t normal. He harbored emotions that couldn’t be tolerated by the world for his brother, but because of this deep-seated love buried in his heart for ten years, it grew and flourished rapidly in the darkness and desire. His heart was both strong and insecure, wanting to get close but afraid to approach, so much so that he gradually lost his reason in hesitation and turned mad until he went crazy, whether it was dealing with things or handling emotions, he used an almost ruptured way, even though he wandered on the edge of life and death, even though the future was a bottomless abyss.

The youth was ignorant and simple, yet the threads of emotion had already entangled his bones. His life had changed since he met him, as if he were an opportunity, a turning point, silently influencing his thoughts and dominating his actions. Over time, the outcome of every event seemed predetermined, making him feel incredulous but also so reasonable.

He never regretted any of his decisions, even if they were wrong. Just like he couldn’t resist his inner desires and forced his deeply loved brother, leading to the current bleak situation, he just tried to remedy it, without a hint of regret in his heart. Even in the decades or even hundreds of years to come, he would maintain this game of chase with his brother, and he would enjoy it.

As long as this person was still here, it was enough.

 

 

 

 

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