The Wicked System: Path of the Devourer Chapter 15 The Art of Brazen Extortion

Zhang Wenbin was furious: "Bastard, making it so watertight for just a few golden talismans! Then don't blame me for not leaving a way out. Take me to the roof."

The security guard said troubledly, "The roof has always been locked. Although there's no one there, the keys are not with the security department either."

"It's fine, just lead the way."

Quietly going upwards along the hotel's fire escape, it was pitch black and he wasn't worried about bumping into someone. However, the layout of the fire escape was very interesting; its location and direction would change almost every two floors.

Nine Bends leading to the Golden Terrace, it's really interesting, you motherfucker. Today, I'll pull off your golden roof.

Arriving at the top floor, one could see a large iron gate closed from a distance. The security guard suddenly shivered, his legs went weak, and he sat on the ground, trembling as he said, "Im… Immortal, something's not right. Is there something in there?"

"Do you know why you jumped off the building here but can't get close to this building? It's because this Golden Seal on Paper has a magical power to suppress Yin. No one can play those tricks like Five Ghosts Moving Wealth or any other Heretical Dao methods here."

"But, in your grandfather's eyes, it's not enough."

Zhang Wenbin took out a talisman, muttered something under his breath, threw it forward, and shouted: "Open!"

The talisman paper turned into a wisp of green smoke and rushed straight ahead. The red-painted iron gate suddenly shook. Visible to the naked eye, the two doors were covered with inscriptions. The moment the green smoke hit, the inscriptions were scattered.

With a snap, the lock also broke open in response, and the big iron gate opened on its own.

Zhang Wenbin smiled in satisfaction and walked over with his hands behind his back. The terrified security guard whose legs were weak almost crawled to catch up, kissing his ass vigorously and saying, "Immortal, you are really incredible. This level of means is simply a heaven-defying ability."

"To a living person, this door has no effect at all. But for wild ghosts like you, even if you have a hundred years of cultivation, don't even think about coming in. If you try to force your way in, your soul will dissipate into nothingness."

On the rooftop, the heavy wind howled, cool and breezy. It was completely dark all around and somewhat disorganized, containing a series of modern items such as an electricity meter and a water tank. It was entirely ordinary with not a single striking feature.

"Trifling tricks!"

The visibility was very low, yet Zhang Wenbin saw through the layout here at a glance. The person who cast the spell was extremely cautious. Things that appeared inconspicuous were actually placed to form a small bewildering array.

He sneered, raised his right hand covered in cinnabar, and gently pressed it on a seemingly empty spot in the air. Following a distortion in the space, the scene before his eyes was different from what he saw earlier. Astoundingly, a small temple less than an average person's height appeared on the roof.

The small temple was about the size of a refrigerator. It was built with antique flavor and exquisite details. The most eye-catching thing was a shining golden seal enshrined on the table.

Zhang Wenbin easily grabbed the golden seal, weighed it in his hand, and couldn't help but smile: "It's almost half a kilogram. Should sell for a lot of money."

The security guard listened on the side, utterly dumbfounded. To him, Zhang Wenbin's methods were unimaginably formidable. Yet out of all things, such an otherworldly expert had taken action just for money?

Inside the Tianlong Hotel, the casino on the third floor was resplendent. Close to midnight, quite a few casual gamblers were seeing red in their eyes. Meanwhile, those allowed inside the VIP lounges were individuals of considerable wealth and notable influence.

At one of the gambling tables sat four men dressed in sharp suits. One of them, a man who naturally commanded respect without raising his voice, glanced at his hand of cards, smiled, and said, "Looks like my luck is rolling tonight. I think I'll push it a bit. 500,000 it is."

The complexions of the other three men were less than stellar, clearly indicating that the man who had just spoken was the sole winner.

Lin Guoxiong, the Chairman of Tianlong Hotel. As the head of the eldest branch of the Lin family, he was absolutely an individual who could walk sideways in Binhai City.

They were playing Showhand at the table. Almost everyone had a seductive beauty accompanying them beside them, and the surroundings were packed with waiters and their subordinates. Anyone who could be hosted by Lin Guoxiong in the VIP room was a big shot who could cause an earthquake in Binhai City with a single stomp.

A fat, balding man frowned, threw his chips forward, and said, "Boss Lin's luck is coming in strong. In that case, I will play a round with you. Anyway, I have already lost so much that it won't matter if I lose another 500,000."

The other two directly folded their cards, adding fuel to the fire, "Director Yang, we are counting on you. Boss Lin's luck today is too good. If we don't suppress his prestige, how dare we gamble with him in the future."

The fat man directly revealed his cards, a pair of Aces. He spoke in a cold voice: "Boss Lin, please reveal your cards."

"A pair of 3s isn't enough, but it barely works if you add a pair of 7s." Lin Guoxiong laughed out loud and also revealed his hole cards. Two small pairs put together just happened to beat his pair of Aces.

The fatty's face turned completely green as he cursed: "Truly fucking disgusting."

Tonight's game was making him furious. Mostly because it'd be expected if he was beaten by a big hand, but every time he just missed by a hair—for example, if you had a pair of Kings, the other guy would have a pair of Aces. It was exceptionally frustrating to lose just by that tiny margin.

"Director Yang, don't be angry. We're just playing for fun. If your luck isn't good, you can take a rest and come back another day for revenge."

The chips in front of Lin Guoxiong already amounted to millions. The other two lost their confidence, grabbing their chips and heading out to play in other rooms. Only Director Yang remained, but he too lacked interest, feeling that his luck today was too miserable to avenge his losses.

At this moment, trusted subordinate Ah-Hu answered a call, his expression shifted, and he leaned in closer. "Boss, Master Chen has an urgent matter to discuss."

"Mr. Chen? Is that the Zhouyi expert?" Director Yang, who was also getting ready to leave, suddenly found his interest piqued.

Uncle Chen was recognized as Binhai City’s top Zhouyi master, with a profound understanding of Fengshui and numerology. His master was a world-renowned half-immortal in his time, making Uncle Chen arguably the foremost otherworldly expert in the city.

The wealthy and powerful flocked to him, seeking his guidance, eager to make him an esteemed guest in their homes. But money and power weren't enough to catch his eye. Lin Guoxiong’s father and Uncle Chen's master had been old friends, and the construction of the Tianlong Hotel was designed by Uncle Chen's master.

Many wealthy people, including the Lin family, would not dare commence major projects without having Uncle Chen evaluate them first.

"That's Uncle Chen." Lin Guoxiong gave an apologetic smile and picked up the phone. "Uncle Chen, what instructions do you have?"

This otherworldly expert usually led an idle life, waking early and sleeping early in a disciplined routine. For him to be awake this late surprised Lin Guoxiong quite a bit.

Always composed, Uncle Chen sounded anxious on the other end: "Bring people to the roof immediately, I'm rushing over right now."

"What's so urgent?" Lin Guoxiong was stunned at these words.

"I was awakened in the middle of sleep. The incense burner on the Daoist altar shattering is an ominous sign. I did a divination—the Fengshui array my master set up has been broken! An expert bypassed the golden talismans and took the array's core, the golden seal, directly from the rooftop shrine."

"What?" Lin Guoxiong was shocked to completely.

The Tianlong Group had been evaluated by Uncle Chen’s master. The site used to be a mass grave; those who could be crossed over were, while the rest were forcibly suppressed. Uncle Chen’s master had laid a Fengshui array to repel Yin energy and gather wealth, ensuring Tianlong Hotel prospered without catastrophe ever since.

"Head over right away. Remember—if you can stop them, stop them. But if they refuse, you absolutely must not offend them."

Usually elegant and poised, Lin Guoxiong dropped everything and bolted, with Ah-Hu dragging a squad of subordinates right on his heels.

Director Yang saw Lin Guoxiong in such a rush and his curiosity flared, gathering his things to chase after him and watch the drama. Right then, the provocatively dressed, smoking-hot girl next to him whined, "Godfather... where are you going? Unlucky in gambling, lucky in love—I was planning to comfort you properly tonight."

"You little slut, head back to the room. I need to see what's happening." Director Yang had absolutely zero interest in her now, consumed entirely by curiosity.

Lin Guoxiong rushed with his people breathless down the fire escape, maintaining his call. "Uncle Chen, if that person messed with our family's Fengshui layout, they clearly have bad intentions. Why do we still have to be polite to them?"

Uncle Chen sighed: "President Lin, my master devoted his life's work to establishing this layout. The Golden Seal on Paper is divided into two parts: Life and Death. The Life section creates an illusion for the living so that no one can locate the core of the array, while the Yin section suppresses vindictive spirits and exorcises evil."

"I may be untalented, but back then we acted as assistants to our master. And yet, to this day, we haven't even figured out how to maneuver the Life platter—let alone completely destroying the Life layout and snatching the golden seal."

"When Master passed away, he even mentioned that although to his lifelong knowledge he personally laid this array, not even he could unravel it if he returned to life. Anyone with this ability is an absolute otherworldly expert."

"That impressive?" Lin Guoxiong was profoundly shaken.

Uncle Chen was half-human, half-immortal. That old master was an existence with an immortal demeanor and Daoist spirit. For him to speak so humbly was staggering.

"I’ve arrived at the front desk. If you bump into the culprit, you absolutely must not offend them! An otherworldly expert of this caliber has plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead."

Director Yang, panting heavily from running after them with his fat frame, caught up and asked, "Boss Lin, even Uncle Chen wouldn't dare offend him? Just what kind of terrifying enemy did you provoke?"

"I have no clue either!" Lin Guoxiong gritted his teeth: "The Lin family has made many enemies, but very few are of any real substance. Where on earth did this expert come from!"

In the stairwell, panting and breathless, they ran straight into Zhang Wenbin and the security guard heading downwards.

Zhang Wenbin stared at them coldly, saying, "You got here pretty quick. I see the person who set up the array isn't dead yet."

The young man seemed completely unremarkable, but there was an indescribable dark aura radiating from him. By pure instinct, Lin Guoxiong sensed something was deeply wrong and took a step back. Even Director Yang, next to him, was utterly bewildered upon seeing how young the expert was.

Ah Hu stepped forward and yelled furiously, "Wang An, you little bastard, turning against your own people!"

The security guard named Wang An contorted his face into a fierce expression and let out a bizarre laugh. "Audacious! How dare you raise a racket before the Immortal? If you're eager to die, I'll happily grant your wish."

Ah Hu hesitated to act recklessly, gritting his teeth in pure hatred, but still looked towards Lin Guoxiong for direction.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Guoxiong cupped his hands respectfully and spoke with utmost courtesy, "I am Lin Guoxiong, the owner of this Tianlong Hotel. I am unaware of how our family might have offended the Immortal, but I hope the Immortal will bring it to light."

"Not bad, you actually have some sense."

Zhang Wenbin toyed with the golden seal in his hand, giving him an appreciative look. "Boss Lin has quite a formidable reputation in Binhai City, but the fact you can humble yourself so easily shows you possess the qualities of a great figure. What's this, I took your family's golden seal and you're not angry??"

"The Immortal showing up uninvited must certainly have a reason," Lin Guoxiong's posture was extremely humble. "Mr. Chen, whom our family reveres, once said that arriving uninvited is also a kind of providence; all who come are guests and should not be slighted."

"Is this your way of treating guests?" Zhang Wenbin coldly eyed the dozen or so thugs glaring at him menacingly.

"Ah-Hu, step back," Lin Guoxiong ordered in a deep voice.

"Boss, your safety..." Ah-Hu hesitated upon hearing this.

The possessed security guard, Wang An, smirked contemptuously. "You really lack self-awareness. If the Immortal wanted your lives, he could take them with a single raise of his hand. What do you think you stinking rotten fish and shrimps could possibly do?"

"Step back!"

Under Lin Guoxiong's shout, Ah-Hu gritted his teeth and led the men away. Only he and Director Yang, who was staying to watch the spectacle, remained at the scene.

Lin Guoxiong politely cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said: "Since the Immortal is here, why not have a cup of wine with us? If my Lin family has committed any offenses, please give us a chance to apologize and make amends, Immortal."

"Hehe, then I should also experience this place you call the Tianlong Grand Hotel, the legendary den of ecstasy."

Gold is valuable, but converting it into cash is very troublesome. After thinking about it, Zhang Wenbin decided to agree. Rather than going through all that trouble, it would be much more straightforward to just extort the Lin family directly.

Following the Vile Path naturally meant acquiring ill-gotten wealth. Compared to stealing like a thief, Zhang Wenbin felt that brazen extortion was much more comfortable.

"Immortal, right this way, please!"

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