Chapter 161: A Youth in the North of the River!

Watching the graceful retreating figure, Jiang Yu smiled amusedly, "Perhaps the connection between Yun Shang and me has not yet been severed, which is why Qianyu feels a sense of familiarity when she is with me."

Back then, Jiang Yu and Yun Shang had peeled off a wisp of their soul thoughts to merge with one another, symbolizing that their souls would endure forever. Among cultivators, only lovers with the most profound bond would lower their guard and entrust their entire being to the other.

Once the souls were merged, the two became as one, able to reap each other's fruits at any time. Yun Shang had been able to ascend to the Nascent Soul realm largely because she was constantly harvesting Jiang Yu's cultivation base every moment of the day.

Cultivation was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. How many people would be willing to split their hard-earned achievements and let others enjoy them? Therefore, fusing soul thoughts required someone whom one could completely trust, someone willing to sacrifice everything.

Despite the passage of thousands of years, historical shifts, and the vicissitudes of the world, that thread of connection between Jiang Yu and Yun Shang had only faded considerably, not vanished.

Jiang Yu pulled back his thoughts and watched Han Qianyu leave.

As for the Martial Alliance, he didn't pay it much attention. A few small cats and dogs weren't qualified to make him spare the energy to specifically monitor their future trajectory.

Last night, Jiang Yu's primary target had been the person in charge of the Martial Alliance; he hadn't made things difficult for those small fry. The affairs in Yuzhou already touched upon the bottom line of the Hermit sects. He understood well that the temporary backing down and concession of the Hermit sects did not mean he could act completely lawlessly.

If he were to go on a massive slaughter of ordinary mortals, then by that time, not only would the Hermit sects fly into a rage, but even the powerful figures behind them would spare no expense to fight him to the death. Unless forced into a corner, Jiang Yu was unwilling to have an irreconcilable feud with Huaxia.

When school let out in the evening, Zhongzhou University instantly became bustling with activity. Jiang Yu exchanged pleasantries with Zhou Kai and Fatty Zhao, hailed a taxi at the school gate, and headed toward the Han family estate.

The Han family, one of the three great families of Tianhe, had the backing of Xu Daozhi. They possessed monstrous wealth and influence locally. On the 2007 Forbes Chinese Billionaires List, the Han family had broken into the top three, second only to the wealthiest man surnamed Li in Hong Kong.

Back then, the Han family's assets had already reached over fifty billion. Years had passed since, and no one knew just what level their fortune had reached. Even provincial titans like the Jiangbei Xia family and Ma Tianzong paled significantly in comparison to the Han family.

Their industrial enterprises spanned half of Huaxia. Over the years, they had established a chain of brands involving real estate, catering, tourism, electronics, home appliances, and more than a dozen other industries. Their annual profits were astronomical.

In the future, seizing the top spot as the richest person in Huaxia was not entirely out of the question.

Han Qianyu was hailed as the supreme goddess of Tianhe, not only because of her breathtaking beauty, but also factoring in her family background and achievements. In the eyes of the people of Tianhe, she was the most perfect goddess.

Every year, a globally renowned modeling magazine featured Han Qianyu on its cover, her sex appeal utterly peerless. Among her suitors were no shortage of overseas billionaires, and some even claimed that such a woman belonged only in the heavens.

Based solely on her background, even a pig would have throngs of people pursuing her. Adding to that the fact that this woman possessed an epoch-making beauty capable of eclipsing the moon and shaming flowers, her allure to men was fatal.

"If I didn't possess the heaven-defying power to grasp human life and death, I'm afraid I would be completely unremarkable amidst Qianyu's countless suitors," Jiang Yu chuckled, feeling no worry in his heart.

What did monstrous wealth and influence matter? What did a prominent background signify? Jiang Yu could shatter them with a single sword strike. Anyone wanting to pursue Han Qianyu would first have to ask whether his fists agreed!

The address of the Han family was known to everyone in Tianhe, and the taxi soon arrived at the entrance of the villa cluster. The driver cast an envious glance inward and smiled, "Young man, we're here."

Jiang Yu tossed over a hundred-yuan bill and asked, "There are dozens of villas here; do you know which one the Han family lives in?"

The driver looked at Jiang Yu in surprise, amused as he said, "Little brother, you must be from out of town, right? You don't need to look for it—all of these villas belong to the Han family. Once you go inside, security guards will naturally receive you."

A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Yu's eyes. The Han family was truly lavish, directly buying up a massive tract of land and building a cluster of villas for their own residence. Such immense power was indeed enough to instill despair in others.

Walking through the main gate, he saw babbling springs, small bridges over flowing streams, pavilion towers, courtyard houses, and the sounds of birds mingling with the fragrance of flowers all around. From the looks of it, this was a leisure and entertainment area built for the Han family members. The surrounding environment was truly a treasured place for cultivating the mind and body.

The construction of the villas also corresponded to Feng Shui formations, neatly arranged and meticulously ordered, clearly guided by an expert. Even with Jiang Yu's composure, he couldn't help but sigh in wonder.

Whoever could step through the gates of the Han family would save half a lifetime of struggle.

Han Qianyu came out to greet him personally. She wore a fluttering, captivating vintage long dress, her waist-length hair slightly swept up, looking poised and noble. Draped in her retro attire, she bore a striking resemblance to Yun Shang.

"Jiang Yu."

Han Qianyu's charming eyes curved as she smiled and greeted him.

Jiang Yu remained calm and composed, nodding faintly as he followed her toward an European-style building. Luxurious cars were parked densely at the entrance, and several handsome young men were laughing and chatting as they walked inside.

In the brilliantly illuminated grand hall, a dozen young men and women were seated around a table, all around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. They shared a common trait: an overwhelmingly rich aura, refined conversation displaying great breeding, and attire consisting entirely of international brands, with a single outfit costing no less than two to three hundred thousand.

"That plot of land in Donggui Garden was secured for 1.7 billion, but attitudes toward real estate have wavered in recent years. Selling apartments rashly might result in a loss."

"I heard Haoyu Group went public and its stock prices skyrocketed. I had dinner with Haoyu's CEO last night and talked about a partnership. If it goes through, I'll net at least sixty million on my end."

Unlike ordinary spoiled heirs who invariably talked of luxury cars and women, these genuine scions of elite families spoke of the grand strategy of Tianhe, offering unique insights and explaining profound truths in simple terms.

Different social circles discussed different topics.

Han Qianyu poured fine red wine for Jiang Yu, instructed the servants to bring over a steak, and introduced him gracefully, "Jiang Yu, a student at Zhongzhou University, and a friend of mine."

Everyone nodded to Jiang Yu to acknowledge him. Beneath their polite smiles lay utter disdain. If he had any notable background, Qianyu clearly wouldn't have deliberately avoided mentioning it on an occasion like this. Since she said nothing about it, he was simply a nobody.

Among the crowd, Wei Jia held his wine glass, his gaze venomous.

"Qianyu, did you go out for a stroll with this classmate Jiang Yu today?"

Whether in content or tone, Wei Jia's words were phrased impeccably, sounding completely harmless. Yet the smiles froze on the faces of those beside him; everyone in Tianhe knew that Han Qianyu was Wei Jia's absolute taboo.

Wei Jia was actually quite devoted, infatuated with Han Qianyu for a decade without ever taking a girlfriend. Given his status and position, with just a wave of his hand, countless women would gladly climb into his bed.

Han Qianyu's expression shifted slightly, and she shook her head, saying, "Jiang Yu and I are just friends."

Wei Jia said nothing more. Flying into a temper at random was the trait of the incompetent. He knew better than anyone what to say and what to do in any given situation.

Jiang Yu sat quietly at the table, picking up his glass to take a sip of red wine. He neither spoke nor touched his utensils, completely lacking any presence, and was quickly ignored by everyone.

Someone spoke up:

"I heard that a youthful prodigy has emerged in Jiangbei, who at such a young age is already renowned throughout the world."

As the topic shifted to the hottest news in Jiangbei, everyone grew interested.

Wei Jia nodded and said, "Indeed. It is said that the sorcery in that man's hands rivals immortal martial arts, possessing ghost-frightening, god-defying might. Nowadays, the tycoons of the two neighboring provinces of Jiangbei and Moshan all regard that man as supreme."

The others eagerly pursued the question: "Really? Is it true? In this world, can someone really kill people from afar and overturn rivers and seas? In my opinion, it's just exaggerated self-promotion by people who call themselves martial artists, just gilding their own faces."

They were all students at renowned universities across the globe, and a few of them had achieved astonishing feats at MIT in their early twenties. They fancied themselves completely omniscient regarding the world.

Han Qianyu frowned and said, "I've also heard my father mention that there is indeed a youthful prodigy in Jiangbei. He rose to fame even earlier than Mr. Xu Daozhi of Zhongzhou. Back when Mr. Xu's brilliance was just beginning to blind the world, that youthful prodigy had already cowed Jiangbei into submission."

Wei Jia raised his wine glass and said with unhurried poise, "Vast as the world is, we are mere mortals of flesh and blood; how could we perceive transcendent beings? Even Mr. Xu's reputation pales compared to that youthful prodigy. If I can achieve half of his accomplishments in this lifetime, it will be more than enough."

"Wow, is he really that amazing? Oh, how I wish I could be his girlfriend."

A sexy-looking young woman instantly began to daydream aloud.

The person beside her teased, "Pfft, with his lofty status, what kind of women hasn't he seen? Even if you actively crawled into his bed, I doubt he'd even bother to look at you."

The two of them burst into playful banter and laughter.

Han Qianyu raised her head, her voice grave:

"According to intelligence reports, that youthful prodigy from Jiangbei might have already arrived in Tianhe!"