Urban Seduction: Housewives Club Chapter 2129 - 450: Pain Isn’t the Point 1

Shifting focus to Wang Yue—after absorbing Zhang Lingtian's account, he released a frosty snort. "You’ve got some nerve. You even played your own father."

"Just survival instincts, Senior," Zhang Lingtian answered, plastering on a strained, bootlicking grin.

"Oh? And if I hadn’t intercepted you, and your father had checked that spatial ring later, how exactly were you planning to ’survive’ then?" Wang Yue questioned, curiosity stirred.

He harbored a quiet doubt that the youth hadn't truly stashed the resources "somewhere else" but was bearing them concealed on his body through a covert technique beyond ordinary detection.

"The value of those resources is astronomical. Even if my father found out, he wouldn’t have dared to touch me because he’d need me alive to get his hands on them later," Zhang Lingtian elaborated.

Wang Yue's gaze sharpened just a touch. This individual ran deep—scheming and steady. Distinguishing truth from deception in his words proved utterly challenging.

It was hardly fair to fault Wang Yue's uncertainty. While his soul had persisted through countless ages in his prior existence, that era unfolded in utter solitude. His genuine worldly insight aligned with his present body's youth—merely fifteen years. Admittedly more poised than the typical adolescent, but that was the extent of it.

Furthermore, those fifteen years had passed within the snug, unified haven of the Wang household. He found himself somewhat overmatched in outsmarting a "viper" nurtured amid a brood of serpents.

None of that signified, however. Wang Yue's prime advantage lay in his avoidance of reckless hubris. He recognized the wisdom in assigning roles. Specialized duties demanded specialists; he only required skill in directing them.

Abruptly, he lashed out, rendering Zhang Lingtian senseless via a lone palm blow. He slung the slackened form over his shoulder, then flicked his wrist, tucking away the ruined flyer alongside it.

The spatial ring seized from the Zhang clan's Third Ancestor was vast and largely vacant, thus narrowly sufficient to house the diminutive vehicle.

Wang Yue held scant regard for the craft itself—not with Yan Fangfei awaiting at home. She embodied the pinnacle of tech-savvy divinity; she could transform a low-cost drone into a marvel surpassing this advanced gadget without breaking a sweat.

Yet, with the whereabouts of the Zhang clan's 70% treasure cache still unknown, he dared not abandon any potential tie to Lingtian.

Matters settled, Wang Yue transported Zhang Lingtian from the grounds.

Across the full episode, no member of the Zhang clan ventured forth to probe—not even their Ancestor. Having glimpsed those dual horrifying sword slashes from afar, the elder grew ever more certain of his utter impotence. He opted for prudence and extended scheming.

Moreover, Jianyuan's betrayal had inflicted a devastating strike on the family's resolve. In his role as Ancestor, he remained overwhelmed merely containing his followers' plunge toward utter frenzy.

Reaching Zhang Hong's hideaway, Wang Yue relinquished Zhang Lingtian.

Though Wang Yue now eclipsed Zhang Hong in pure might by vast margins, in matters of seasoned insight and "interrogation" methods, he lagged behind the sly veteran. Entrusting the probe to an authority made sense.

The enormous gap in the sleeping chamber's wall had received a rough seal. Unintending to reside there further, Zhang Hong had adapted the space into an ad-hoc questioning den.

Wang Yue remained on-site, issuing Zhang Hong a targeted command: uncover the supporter of Zhang Jianyuan. Lessons from his former life revealed that a modest regional outfit like the Tianhai Zhangs lacked the daring to assault Jinling's three premier clans solo. Jianyuan functioned as a mere tool.

Zhang Hong hauled Lingtian into the sleeping area, leaving Wang Yue in the primary space with Li Yingying, Li Gang, and Wu Li, whiling away moments in idle chatter.

At this point, Li Gang's prowess had ascended to the Tianyuan Realm. Such an advancement pace teetered on the ethereal—frankly, it mirrored the velocity of Wang Yue's own companions.

Wang Yue had grown accustomed to it; rather, he deemed Li Gang's pace overly leisurely. Considering his adversaries now operated at minimal Mortal Shedding Realm levels, Li Gang served as mere baggage in genuine confrontations.

Wang Yue resolved that post-resolution of Tianhai's turmoil, he'd station Li Gang locally for ongoing drills under Zhang Hong's guidance.

Even absent frontline combat utility for Wang Yue, Li Gang could enforce on his behalf in Tianhai. Bearing Li Gang's distinctive constitution, claiming supremacy in the city hinged not on possibility, but timing—and that delay would prove brief.

As dawn arrived, concluding a complete night's "questioning," Zhang Hong at last stepped out of the sleeping chamber.

Zhang Lingtian's psychological barriers had proven profoundly sturdy; Zhang Hong's mental maneuvers failed to pierce them.

That said, Zhang Hong's repertoire transcended cerebral ploys—he commanded expertise in corporeal "convincing." Harboring no fondness for Lingtian, he refrained from restraint.

Though Lingtian shone as a tactical prodigy, he remained a indulged heir untouched by authentic agony. Facing Zhang Hong's ruthless inquisition, he fractured rapidly and divulged it all.

Zhang Jianyuan truly possessed a patron: the formidable Capital-based Kong Family.

Wang Yue knew the reputation—it rang with mythic status. Ranking among the secular martial realm's four paramount clans, they drew support from Transcendence Realm titans. They numbered among the scarce supremes able to genuinely contend against the storied Martial Arts Holy Lands.

Armed with this revelation, the enigma's elements aligned seamlessly.

The Zhangs executed the Kongs' directives to topple Jinling's three dominant houses. This plausibly accounted for Wang Yue's second aunt Su Mengchen's reluctance to engage directly. The Kongs matched the Holy Lands' Yang family in potency, prompting her wariness and reliance on discreet shielding.

The Kongs pursued identical tactics—apprehensive of the Yangs, they operated covertly, buying Zhang Jianyuan's services for their underhanded schemes.