Chapter Sixty-Four: Jiang Yu, Why Are You Here? (Second Update)

Eight o’clock at night, Little Victoria Harbour in Yuzhou. Neon lights flickered all around, casting resplendent reflections on the river, colors dancing and swaying with the slow current. The night view of the Yu River truly lived up to its reputation.

Moored along the shore was a luxurious cruise ship, several dozen meters long and six stories high. The ship, named Victoria Elegance, was crafted by Sotheby’s at the largest shipyard in America, costing forty million dollars to build. If placed on land, it would stand over ten meters tall—a veritable leviathan.

“Never mind the river auction tonight; just the lingerie show onboard is enough to drive many tycoons wild. This ship is truly a floating paradise on the river. Most of the big bosses who come to Yuzhou are here for this very spectacle,” Liu Shao eagerly explained as soon as he boarded, unable to contain his excitement.

He had attended several such auctions before, and everything felt familiar and routine. Jiang Yu nodded—Victoria Auction was indeed a genuine den of indulgence. Decadence and extravagance were exactly what the wealthy craved: beauties in their arms, fortunes spent in a single night—what bliss!

“Ma Tianzong and the others should have arrived by now, shouldn’t they?” Jiang Yu frowned and strode inside.

“Wow, how luxurious!” Gu Feifei, attending such a gathering for the first time, was instantly captivated by the dazzling splendor before her eyes. Du Yanran wore a look of longing as well. No wonder this was the pride of Yuzhou—this cruise ship could probably accommodate several hundred guests at once.

Elegant, soft strains of violin music drifted through the cabin, and many high-ranking officials and wealthy magnates, arm in arm with their companions, were dancing to the music. Any one of them pulled from the crowd would be worth at least tens of millions. Both sides of the hall were lined with gourmet delicacies and fine wines, the tables overflowing, the atmosphere vibrant.

As soon as he stepped inside, Jiang Yu frowned. Within this luxury cruise ship, his spiritual perception picked up several hidden martial artist presences, deliberately suppressed and deeply concealed.

He had sensed similar auras before on people like Tiger, the Shadow, and Arno. There were over a dozen in total; the most powerful among them was nearly a Grandmaster. Some mingled with the guests, blending into the crowd, while others lurked in the shadows like leopards, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. There were even distinct presences beneath the riverside waters.

Their tricks at masking their energy might fool others, but to Jiang Yu, they seemed clumsy—far inferior to the Shadow he’d encountered in Cloud City, who leapt through the darkness with ease.

“Nothing worth mentioning,” Jiang Yu chuckled softly, withdrawing his perception. The assassins of the Shadowkill organization were still not giving up, having trailed him all the way here.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Shao, Gu Feifei, and the others had already slipped into the crowd, their curiosity driving them to explore every inch of the cruise ship.

At that moment, a voice filled with surprise sounded by his ear: “Jiang Yu?”

Turning his head, Jiang Yu saw Jiang Ziyue’s face, stunned and incredulous. His uncle’s family, his elder uncle’s family, even Zheng Xuan’s parents—all were present, eyeing him with suspicion. Nearly everyone was here.

“What are you doing here?” Jiang Ziyue grabbed Jiang Yu’s arm, as if afraid he’d be spotted by the Jiang family and flee in embarrassment.

Jiang Yu smiled. “And why shouldn’t I be here?”

In truth, what everyone wanted to ask was, where did he get the money to attend this auction? Anyone purchasing a ticket had to pass a full verification process—only those with assets of over ten million qualified to board. Compared to previous years, this ten-million threshold was already much more lenient. In the past, unless you had at least a hundred million, you wouldn’t even be allowed in.

“How did you get in, Jiang Yu?” his aunt asked, frowning with displeasure.

No one had expected to run into Jiang Yu here. Zheng Xuan’s gaze was even more perplexed.

Jiang Yu replied calmly, “I’m here on some business. I’ll leave after tonight.”

His aunt, stubborn as ever, sneered, “Let’s be honest, Jiang Yu. We’re all suspicious that you snuck in. With so many people around, no matter how tight security is, there’s always a chance someone slips through.”

Uncle Jiang Yun chimed in, “Everyone in the Jiang family is working hard for their future, yet you hide out here, a thousand miles from Cloud City, idling away your time.”

Expressions varied among the crowd. Zheng Xuan’s parents’ lips moved, but in the end they merely shook their heads. What they wanted to say, others had already said countless times. Saying it again would be a waste of breath if he wouldn’t listen.

It seemed he’d long accepted his reputation as a good-for-nothing, resigned to his fate. Zheng Xuan’s parents saw no sign of effort in him. Allowing Zheng Xuan to divorce him, as she wished, had indeed been the right choice. The guilt in their hearts faded considerably at this thought.

“Jiang Yu, Ziyue is about to study abroad, Shaoqi is entering military training, and Zheng Xuan will soon be off to Peking University. I really can’t figure out which of your parents you inherited this useless nature from,” Jiang Yun scolded sternly.

One reprimand after another filled the air around Jiang Yu.

His expression remained tranquil. “What I do is none of your concern.”

Zheng Xuan spoke at just the right moment: “Shaoqi and I are getting married next month. Do you remember telling me you’d give me a grand gift for my wedding? I wonder if I should look forward to this so-called gift of yours?”

A grand gift?

The others shook their heads, laughing, not taking it seriously. How much truth could there be in anything Jiang Yu said? He’d once boasted in a fit of anger that even Ma Tianzong, the richest man in Jiangbei, or Li Hao, the underground emperor of Cloud City, would show him respect.

After such endless bravado, what could he not claim or say?

His uncle cleared his throat and said, “Don’t be foolish, Jiang Yu. If you sneaked in, you still have time to leave before you’re found out. At Sotheby’s cruise auction tonight, any item could go for millions, even tens of millions. Your only source of income is the Jiang family’s monthly allowance.”

“The people here are all rich and powerful. If you offend someone, we can’t help you. With your usual behavior, offending people is what you do best, isn’t it?”

Jiang Yu found this amusing. Glancing around, he spoke calmly, “Never mind this little cruise ship—even if all the moguls of Yuzhou were here, if I offended them, would they even dare utter a word in front of me?”

As expected, here he went again.

His aunt mocked, “Truly incorrigible. I really want to see what you can buy tonight.”

She tugged at her coat and continued, “This coat was bought for me by Shaoqi from a Givenchy boutique for seventy thousand. Jiang Yu, have you ever bought anything for your parents in your life?”

Jiang Yu paused, then quietly murmured, “Come to think of it, I really haven’t ever bought anything for my parents.”

He shook his head and turned away.

“Where are you going?” Jiang Ziyue called after him, but he had already disappeared into the crowd.

“Don’t bother with him. What else does he have besides that mouth of his?” Jiang Shaoqi said coldly.

He couldn’t shake the memory of Jiang Yu defeating all those taekwondo experts at the martial club. Every time he thought of Jiang Yu, the scene replayed in his mind.

“So what if he can fight? Compared to my achievements, it’s nothing,” Jiang Shaoqi thought, losing interest in Jiang Yu.

As they were about to head upstairs, a stir swept through the outer cabin—a buzz of conversation filled the air. Such a commotion meant an important figure had arrived.

“The richest man in Jiangbei, Ma Tianzong—he’s here!”

“Look, there’s Li Hao too!”

Jiang Shaoqi, Zheng Xuan, Jiang Ziyue, Jiang Lingxing—everyone turned to look. They would never mistake Ma Tianzong, a regular on television interviews. This was the first time seeing him in real life.

As for Li Hao, the Jiang family was already well acquainted with him.

“And Lin Wangtian is here too?” someone exclaimed, as Lin Wangtian entered with his hands behind his back, following Ma Tianzong and Li Hao.

As the three entered, the wealthy guests immediately cleared a path for them.

Such was the power of status!

Zheng Xuan looked on in envy. “How impressive. I wonder when the Jiang family will ever reach the level where people make way for us?”

Jiang Shaoqi clenched his fists in determination. “One day, I will lead the Jiang family to stand on equal footing with them.”

His bold declaration made the elders’ gazes soften with approval.

Only Jiang Ziyue felt puzzled. “Strange, why are these big shots heading in the direction where Jiang Yu just disappeared?”