Chapter 144: General Yang Is About to Fall

A sudden turn of events shattered almost everyone’s expectations, driving many matters straight into a desperate impasse.

Tang Long and the others had been considering how to develop Fish Head Village and withstand the frenzied siege that capital was about to mount against it when something utterly unrelated to Tang Long or the village somehow became entangled with them.

Rumor had it that the only son of the fabulously wealthy Yang family, Yang Wujian, had thrown a fortune into purchasing four mountain peaks not far west of Fish Head Village. He intended to come and “match wrists” with Tang Long—to grind him beneath his feet and teach him exactly what the power of capital meant.

Before Tang Long could even think of a response, trouble struck Yang Wujian’s side.

“What did you say?”

Tang Long stared in astonishment as he listened to the voice on the phone. His mind could only think one thing: What the hell was wrong with this world?

“Yang Wujian had his heart cut out. He’s hanging by a thread and urgently needs Resurrection Grass to keep him alive!”

Had anyone else made that call, Tang Long would have assumed they had lost their mind. Someone had their heart cut out—and they were still alive?

Under ordinary circumstances, of course not. Once your heart had been dug out, what chance was there of living? You would have been dead as a doornail.

But that was only under ordinary circumstances.

There were countless secrets in this world unknown to ordinary people. Certain special objects could slow the aging of the human body; certain extraordinary herbs could bring the dead back to life. Many things that existed only in legend were, in fact, real.

The Yang family was a merchant dynasty of immense wealth. They could not quite be called richer than a nation, but the fortunes they controlled both at home and abroad were certainly vast enough that no one would dare look down on them.

It was no exaggeration to say that they could mobilize an enormous force of capital.

The Yang family was rich beyond measure, and generation after generation of its women had been fierce and formidable. Male heirs, however, had always been scarce. In this generation, Yang Wujian was the family’s only son—their one precious jewel. Naturally, they treated him like heaven’s own gift, pouring every treasure they possessed into him.

So Tang Long was not surprised in the slightest that such a priceless heir would have several life-saving treasures on him—things beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

A heavyweight like Zhen Nantian would never call him without reason. Since the call had come to him, it meant the matter was connected to Tang Long. Otherwise, why would someone of Zhen Nantian’s stature say anything at all? A great man had his dignity to consider.

Tang Long drew a deep breath and walked toward an empty spot nearby before asking in surprise, “This has something to do with me?”

As for the Yang family’s precious heir, Tang Long knew of him only by reputation and had never met him. If Yang Wujian had not come to Taoyuan County to cause trouble for him, the two of them might never have crossed paths in this lifetime.

Zhen Nantian said solemnly, “Yang Wujian was attacked on his way to Fish Head Village. It happened within Taoyuan County, and the attack was aimed at you.”

Goddamn it.

Tang Long said helplessly, “Boss, just because of that, you’re saying this is connected to me? Isn’t that stretching things a little?”

“Yes.”

Zhen Nantian nodded firmly. “It is indeed a stretch. The problem is that the Yang family won’t see it that way. Yang Wujian had his accident on Taoyuan County soil, on the road to Fish Head Village, and he was only there because of you. You think it’s a stretch, and so do I—but the Yang family won’t. They’ll direct their fury at you.”

The smile vanished from Tang Long’s face, replaced by a cold laugh. “Boss, forget who the Yang family is for the moment. What I want to know is this: am I a soft persimmon that anyone can squeeze whenever they please? Even if I’ve become an ordinary person, that doesn’t mean I have to swallow everyone’s anger, does it? Every Tom, Dick, and stray dog comes looking for trouble with me. I can’t take that!”

A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Zhen Nantian’s mouth—a smile mingled with bitterness and delight. That fearless Global God of War, that legendary Soldier King of the world… had not died after all.

“Are you certain you won’t get involved in Yang Wujian’s affair?” Zhen Nantian asked. “If you won’t, I’ll make it clear to the Yang family that this has nothing to do with you. And honestly, they can’t pin the blame on you.”

Tang Long rolled his eyes helplessly. He was no longer without attachments. He himself was not afraid of the Yang family’s fury, but what about the people around him?

The villagers of Fish Head Village aside, if Yang Wujian died and the Yang family insisted on directing their hatred at Tang Long, their retaliation would certainly not be limited to him. To put it bluntly, anyone connected to Tang Long—Wu Zhengyao, Wang Feiyue, Gao Peng, Wang Lu, Zhang Xiu’e, and countless others—as well as their relatives and friends, would all be dragged into it.

The Yang family had both the power and the ability to punish everyone connected to him.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” Tang Long said helplessly. “Why did Yang Wujian come to Taoyuan County in the first place? And someone as precious as him surely had bodyguards with him. How did they prove so useless that he could be ambushed—and have his heart cut out?”

Zhen Nantian did not smile. He explained, “Yang Wujian brought fewer people with him this time, and someone leaked his whereabouts. Every one of his bodyguards was killed. Not a single one survived.”

Tang Long frowned. “That reckless?”

“Not merely reckless,” Zhen Nantian said heavily. “The attackers came prepared. While cutting out Yang Wujian’s heart, they performed basic treatment on him. Then they contacted the Yang family and demanded fifty billion dollars for the heart’s return.”

Came prepared?

A sharp light flickered in Tang Long’s eyes. From Zhen Nantian’s words, he could easily deduce that Yang Wujian’s heart being removed while he remained alive had been no accident. He had known it: no matter how miraculous the treasures Yang Wujian possessed, having one’s heart torn out should have meant certain death.

“How is Yang Wujian now?” Tang Long asked.

“Not entirely clear,” Zhen Nantian replied. “The Yang family has taken him back to the Magic Capital. They’re using the most advanced instruments in the world to replace his heart. He should be able to hold on for a short while.”

Tang Long thought for a moment. “The Yang family has that much money. Can’t they give him an artificial heart?”

With current technology, let alone an artificial heart—even a complete bionic body could be constructed as long as the brain remained intact and one had enough money.

With enough money, anything was possible.

Wondrous technology existed for the sake of serving the wealthy, did it not?

There was helplessness in Zhen Nantian’s voice. “They can. But Yang Wujian is the Yang family’s only son. After what happened, that whole pack of old men and women nearly went mad. Right now, they want to bite anyone they can get their hands on.”

Tang Long nodded. “I can understand that.” After a pause, he said in puzzlement, “But there’s something I don’t understand. Whoever wanted to deal with Yang Wujian could have chosen any place. Why did they have to do it within Taoyuan County?”

Zhen Nantian was silent for a moment before saying, “Things haven’t been peaceful domestically or abroad lately. There’s a rapidly rising force stirring up trouble everywhere. This time, they set their sights on Yang Wujian and chose Taoyuan County as the location. Perhaps their aim isn’t merely the Yang family’s enormous wealth.”

Tang Long was not stupid. With that slight hint from Zhen Nantian, he immediately understood. Frowning, he said, “You mean they not only came prepared, but also calculated me into the plan?”

Zhen Nantian shook his head. “It’s only a guess. We have no evidence.”

A brilliant light flashed in Tang Long’s eyes, and his entire bearing seemed to change. A guess was enough. Some matters did not require evidence.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Give me a way to contact the Yang family.”

“All right.”

Zhen Nantian paused, then said, “Tang Long, none of us ever wanted to activate you. This incident was outside our plans.”

Tang Long smiled. “I believe you, Boss. Besides you people, who else in this world could I trust? Whether it’s within the plan or not, if you summon me, I’ll go. I’d risk death ten thousand times without complaint.”

“You little bastard, stop flattering me,” Zhen Nantian said with a laugh. “This matter isn’t simple. Be careful.” After a brief pause, he added, “I’ll have Peacock take some people to support you. This concerns her as well, so she can’t escape it.”

Tang Long gave a bitter smile but said nothing. Yang Wujian had come to Taoyuan County to cause trouble for him because of that girl, Peacock. How could she possibly remain uninvolved?

If Yang Wujian truly died, the Yang family would not let Tang Long off—and they would not let her off either.

After hanging up, Tang Long could not help cursing. Damn it, what kind of rotten mess was this? Yang Wujian had come to Taoyuan County to cause trouble for him, and in the end, Tang Long was the one who had to clean up after him.

Besides recovering his lost heart, Yang Wujian also needed Resurrection Grass. After all, no one could say whether the heart would still function once it was retrieved and put back in place. But there was a strange plant in this world known as Resurrection Grass. According to legend, as long as a person had not yet died, consuming it could bring them back from the dead.

Resurrection Grass might not be as miraculous as the legends claimed, but it would certainly be useful for Yang Wujian. With it, once his heart was put back, they could guarantee that nothing would go wrong.

Tang Long had heard of Resurrection Grass before. During one mission, he had stumbled upon information about it. That mission had involved a collection of national treasures, which he and his comrades had pursued and recovered.

“The Qinling Mountains… the Ancient God Temple?”

Tang Long murmured to himself, his eyes glittering. If the attackers had truly calculated him into the scheme, then perhaps their goal had never been the Yang family at all. Their ultimate purpose might be to lure him to the Qinling Mountains in search of the legendary Ancient God Temple. According to the rumors, the temple contained not only Resurrection Grass, but other miraculous treasures as well.

If all these clues had been woven into the plan—using Yang Wujian and the news of Resurrection Grass to draw him to the Qinling Mountains, then borrowing his hand to search for the Ancient God Temple—then the net behind it all was enormous.

At the very least, the mastermind was deeply familiar with the Yang family, the situation within the country, and even Tang Long himself. Otherwise, they could never have made use of all three.

The force controlling that hidden web was certainly no minor power. Calling it terrifying would not be an exaggeration. It was unquestionably one of the most powerful forces in the world.

“Ah!”

Tang Long let out a quiet sigh. Even when a tree longed for peace, the wind refused to stop. All he wanted was to live as an ordinary person for a few days. Was that really too much to ask?