In the direction faced by the floor-to-ceiling window in Perfected One Nagiko's office, in the outskirts of City Seven, lay a private garden belonging to the Hu Family.
Lush trees concealed half the mountainside, and an ancient, seven-story octagonal tower of gray brick stood tall among them. Even outside the garden, one could see the beast's head atop the tower, facing the sky. It resembled both a tiger and a dragon: the legendary beast Bian. Divine light flickered in its eyes, shining like stars in the darkness, unextinguished for three hundred years.
Hu Hanyi, head of the Hu Family, approached cautiously from a distance in a slightly creased brown pinstriped suit, carrying a black briefcase. Two personal guards followed behind him.
"Family head."
The old retainer beneath the tower opened his eyes and greeted him.
"Elder Qin." Hu Hanyi nodded. "Nothing unusual inside, is there?"
"All quiet," the old retainer replied.
"Good. Open the door," Hu Hanyi ordered.
The two guards took up positions on either side and each twisted the base of a stone beast beside the entrance. Amid grinding sounds, the heavy ironwood doors opened a crack.
A raging storm of demonic energy immediately swept out. The mere wisp that escaped sent Hu Hanyi flying over ten meters!
Thud!
Hu Hanyi hit the ground hard and rolled several times, nearly coughing up blood. Only after a long while did he manage to lift his head. "Fuck, you call this all quiet?"
"Who knows why the wind picked up the moment you arrived, Family Head?" The old retainer chuckled. "Perhaps this is what they mean by winds following the tiger and clouds following the dragon."
Hu Hanyi grunted twice without answering. When he stepped toward the tower again, no more demonic winds rose.
The Hu Family had developed rapidly