The Modern Martial Immortal-Chapter 21: Opponent

In an office of more than a hundred square meters, filled with dark-red hues and antique decor, You Long, a major shareholder and board member of Yulong International, had been speaking with an elderly man projected onto the screen. That elderly man carried the unmistakable aura of someone in power.

It was Director You, a man with a net worth of billions. He remained calm and measured as he handled the crisis with complete orderliness. "We have set up keyword filters and have been searching every video related to the Qingyu incident. If any footage leaks, we will immediately take it down. We already prepared reasons like excessive gore, violence, discomfort, destabilizing impact, or exaggeration. One of them will fit.

"Additionally, we already had people pre-release similar videos online and quickly shoot a movie. Using a third party, we're pushing the narrative of it being a publicity stunt before the film's release..."

The figure on the screen said in a faint voice, "The matter at Qingyu Industrial Park happened in Feiyu. As long as we flood the internet with enough junk information, the truth will naturally be blurred and suppressed, at least online. If necessary, we can even abandon Qingyu Industrial Park entirely. As long as Yulong International's transfer hubs remain unaffected, we can build as many similar industrial parks as we want."

"Those people transported to Qingyu Industrial Park were simply lured by high salaries. They have nothing to do with Yulong International. The operation of the transfer hub won't be affected at all," You Long said with full confidence.

The projection nodded. "I trust your methods."

You Long continued, "As for General Jin of Feiyu, I told my men to deliver a portion of divine blood to him. That will be enough to keep him quiet. Once our infiltration into his faction deepens, we will simply have one of his subordinates replace him."

After a moment, he seemed to recall something. "But Chief, during this period, we should prioritize stability. No more disturbances. I have a feeling someone has set their sights on us."

"Oh? Someone noticed?" The elderly man slightly lifted his head, revealing a face often seen on news broadcasts across Tiannan. "What's the level of the opposing force?"

"They should have only just started moving. Their level isn't high," You Long said. "From what I know, a senior prosecutor from the Tiannan Prosecutor's Office arrived in Shanlong. Though he claims to be investigating, he was the champion of the last Martial Dao Tournament. He has the power of the Third Heavenly Realm. Without manifesting my true form, I'd still need to use some methods to deal with him."

He paused and added, "I already have people watching him closely."

"A senior prosecutor?" The elder waved his hand. "Not worth the effort. Give him an accident. Handle it properly. I will deal with the aftermath."

"Understood." You Long nodded.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Normally, no one dared call him during high-level discussions, yet this call still came through. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Something happened?" the elder asked. "Answer it."

You Long nodded and picked up.

His trusted subordinate's voice came through immediately. "Director You, something happened. Just now, one of the goods who escaped halfway and was recaptured jumped off the building..."

You Long frowned. "Do you need to report such trivial matters? She jumped, so who is to blame? Follow standard procedure and separate Yulong International from the incident. Just ensure it doesn't affect our traffic flow or cargo operations."

"Uhh... The moment she jumped, she was seen by a senior prosecutor with chief-prosecutor privileges from the Prosecutor's Office. Now he is leading people upstairs," the subordinate said.

"You still have goods upstairs that haven't been cleared?" You Long immediately realized the problem.

"Yes... There was an accident at Qingyu Industrial Park, so..." The voice on the line carried shame.

"Useless fools!" You Long scolded him sharply. "Send that batch of goods into the meat grinder and destroy them immediately."

"Understood, I will go now." The man on the phone hurried to comply.

"A senior prosecutor? The one you mentioned?" the elder asked faintly.

"Yes. A troublemaker. If he stays quiet and focuses on being a promising prosecutor, fine. If he refuses to appreciate kindness... we'll have to eliminate him."

You Long stood and straightened his tie. "It has been a long time since I moved personally."

"Handle it. Make it clean," the elder said.

You Long nodded and was about to respond when the door suddenly swung open.

Faintly, shouts came from behind. "Young Master Su, you can't go in there..."

You Long frowned.

The elder immediately cut off the call, and the projection vanished.

This scene filled You Long's expression with displeasure. "Who let you in?"

He grabbed an ashtray from the desk and hurled it forward. "Get out!"

Bam! Yaoguang flicked his right hand. The Chengying Sword flashed like a streak of flowing light. The ashtray split cleanly in two and crashed against the wall behind him.

"Daemon," Yaoguang said, causing You Long's pupils to constrict.

Experts could recognize each other at a glance. He had thrown that ashtray with considerable speed and jin, yet for someone to sever it mid-air with such precise accuracy was not something an ordinary martial artist could achieve.

Thinking of the report from his subordinates earlier, You Long asked coldly, "Xia Wuyuan's subordinate?"

"Director You..." Secretary Ding rushed over just then. Seeing the cold and oppressive look on You Long's face, her expression instantly turned pale.

"Close the door and leave." You Long barked.

Secretary Ding feared Director You even more than she feared Director Ou. Her entire body trembled as she hurried out and gently closed the door behind her.

"Is living quietly so difficult? Do you enjoy meddling that much?" You Long stepped around his desk, producing a cane forged entirely from refined steel. He approached Yaoguang and stopped directly before him.

Yaoguang also watched the massive, towering figure that stood barely four meters away.

"You have someone above you." Yaoguang said, then asked, "Who is that man?"

A sharp glint flashed through You Long's eyes. In the next instant, he lunged.

His huge frame surged forward like a raging bear rising on hind legs, every inch of him exuding crushing force. The refined-steel cane in his hand swung upward and then came crashing down toward Yaoguang's skull.

That strike carried enough jin to shatter several centimeters of marble if it landed. Yet as the blow descended with thunderous speed, Yaoguang neither dodged nor retreated. He stepped forward to meet it.

The Chengying Sword in his hand moved so quickly that it appeared to blur into an afterimage. In a flash, it intercepted You Long's strike.

Due to the huge difference in strength between the two of them, Yaoguang had to redirect the cane at the moment of contact, guiding the force to the right. You Long's body tilted, and the Chengying Sword slid upward along the cane. In the same instant, its tip swept sideways like lightning toward his throat.

This violent exchange and sudden change in angle widened You Long's eyes.

Just as the blade was about to cut him, he snapped backward with a sharp lean. The sword edge passed so close to his nose that it nearly grazed him as it carved through empty air.

As they were about to move past each other, You Long's torso suddenly snapped straight again. Jin exploded from his waist, whipping his body around. As he turned, the refined-steel cane swung nearly 270 degrees, tearing through the air as it blasted toward the back of Yaoguang's head.

But the moment Yaoguang's first strike failed to land, he had already anticipated every counterattack You Long might attempt.

The instant that vicious 270-degree swing came down where his head should have been, Yaoguang lowered himself. Relying on their height difference, he allowed the cane's terrifying force to whistle past over his head, sending his hair flying as the blow smashed toward the distance.

At the same time, his own sword technique shifted. The Chengying Sword, which had been held in a normal grip during the horizontal cut, flipped into a reverse grip. As he turned, the sharp blade rotated 180 degrees. In that same heartbeat, it slashed across You Long's waist. Even though You Long retreated the instant he sensed danger, the sword still opened a red blossom along his waist.

Only then did the two fully cross.

Then, they separated again at a distance of four to five meters. Yaoguang reversed his grip on the sword, adjusting his stance and center of gravity, while You Long did the same.

He looked down at the sword mark across his waist. It was not deep, yet the blood seeping from it had already stained his suit.

That brief, close-range exchange had been perilous to the extreme.

Neither spoke. In that instant, both Yaoguang and You Long understood that the opponent before them was formidable.

Bang! You Long slammed the cane into the ground. The decorative outer layer shattered and fell away, revealing the true form beneath, forged entirely from refined steel... perhaps even a special alloy.

Yaoguang quickly assessed the length of their weapons, their arm spans, and the distance between him and You Long. He lowered his posture, raised the sword to the level of his own head, and silently shifted into a new offensive stance.

The next moment, both men charged toward each other again, speeding up simultaneously.