章 8: Underground
The song seemed bewitching and he couldn't help but move to the beat.
"Is this sorcery? Why am I moving along with this sound?" He asked the guard.
Shaking his head, the guard replied. "It's just a song. No sorcery sir. Have fun!" With that, the door closed and Fang Chen tapped his feet to the rhythm of the sound while moving to find a seat for himself.
He had briefly forgotten why he was here.
The room was large enough to house over fifty people and was arranged in an orderly manner. Semi-circular couches were placed at fixed positions with a round table at the center of each one.
The room was lit by colored lights and one of the walls was entirely made up of see-through glass that allowed one to see what was happening on the first floor, the place for regulars.
Fang Chen could spot people dancing below and drinking.
The floor was lit by numerous disco lights that displayed different colors of lights, adding to the intoxication of the song in the background.
Fang Chen could see a few people holding onto each other romantically and at some corners a few others made out.
"How interesting?"
He fought the urge to keep dancing and quickly found an empty couch.
After taking his seat, he noticed a person with a tray walking past and dishing people bottles.
He didn't understand that this was a waiter but he believed they worked here so he signalled for the waiter's attention.
"Excuse me, I'd like one of your finest wines," Fang Chen immediately requested.
"Which of them, sir?" The waiter, a male in his late twenties, dressed in a black and white suit, asked Fang Chen.
"Any drink is fine. I just need something spectacular," Fang Chen was still unfamiliar with what they sold in this day and age so he decided to take whatever.
Since he'd taken money from the lieutenant, he believed he could afford whatever he wanted.
Three minutes later, the waiter returned with a small bucket filled with ice. In the middle of was a silver bottle cylindrical in shape.
Placing the bucket in front of Fang Chen, the waiter announced the price. "This bottle of Heaven's Blood is two hundred years old and costs three gold coins."
"Gold coins? Paper bills are accepted too, right?" Fang Chen asked as he stole glances at the bottle.
Fang Chen was once again confused as to how the currency worked. Yuan bills or gold coins?
Fortunately, the waiter nodded but when Fang Chen handed the paper bills over, the waiter said it wasn't enough.
"How about this?" Fang Chen then gave him the ATM card he'd taken from Xiomei's place.
'A gold card? This man must be quite well to do,' the waiter thought while swiping it on a machine in his grasp.
His face bore a renewed expression of respect after the payment as he handed the card back to Fang Chen.
"If you need anything else, sir, do not hesitate to let me know," The waiter voiced while Fang Chen nodded.
Fang Chen had a bright smile on his face as he picked up the bottle from the bucket.
"Hmm?" He suddenly sensed something.
'I didn't pay attention earlier but now that I drowned the music out, I can sense it...' His head turned toward a certain direction with lightning speed.
"It's definitely here... But here where?"
During his prime, Fang Chen was wealthy enough to rival even the wealthiest merchant organization and many sects.
This was due to his countless dangerous adventures since with his immortal body, he could wander to places that cultivators wouldn't even dream of setting foot in.
Fang Chen couldn't stay in one place for so long which was why he hid several treasure vaults all over the world. These vaults made it easier for him to access his wealth, wherever he found himself.
These vaults were special treasure rooms where he kept everything valuable to him.
They were very secure and would require his physical appearance and Qi to be unlocked so he was never bothered about their safety.
Fang Chen had come here because he had been trying to pinpoint the location of one of his vaults that was within the vicinity.
He didn't notice at first but the presence of his vault was even more noticeable in this particular environment.
This could only mean one thing...
"It is here..." Fang Chen chuckled.
Since the proximity between his position and the vault wasn't too distant he could finally try to string his qi to it to determine its precise spot.
With the distance, the vault would be respondent to his qi and try to suck it away.
He released a tiny portion of his Qi and traced it as it moved through the place and got sucked into the ground.
"Below?" Fang Chen rubbed his chin and stood.
The bottle of wine was still held tightly in his hand as he refused to let go of something he'd spent quite the sum to purchase even if it wasn't his own money.
Fang Chen then made his way back to the entry point of the VIP area. He lightly tapped on the door and a few seconds later, it was pushed open.
"How may I help you, sir?"
Fang Chen was greeted by the same security guard he had seen when he first arrived here.
"How do I get down below?" Fang Chen didn't think much about explaining to the guard and just blurted out.
Fang Chen pointed down and since he was on the second floor, the guard immediately assumed he was asking to be guided down the first floor.
"Oh, it's pretty simple to get down." The guard smiled since he wanted to look as friendly as possible.
Pointing to the door on the right wall of the VIP room, the guard explained to Fang Chen. "Just go through that door and you'll arrive at the stairway that leads down below."
Fang Chen felt like the guard didn't understand what he meant but before he could clarify, the door got shut.
Fang Chen looked around and sighed.
Perhaps he could ask the guards below.
Fang Chen followed the security guard's instruction.
Now, he found himself back on the main floor, scanning the area with keen eyes. He couldn't help but notice the blend of modern indulgence and ancient undertones that seemed to permeate the place.
His senses were on high alert, trying to hone in on the elusive presence of his vault.
"Excuse me, sir," a burly guard approached him with a puzzled expression on his face. "VIP section is up there..."
Fang Chen turned to face the guard. "I'm looking for something," he replied calmly.
The guard raised an eyebrow. "Looking for something? What could that possibly be sir?"
Fang Chen's eyes sparkled with determination. "Is there a lower floor than this?"
The guard chuckled, shaking his head. "No, sir. This is as low as it gets."
Realization dawned on Fang Chen. "Ah, so it's underground," he murmured to himself.
The guard looked confused. "Underground? What are you talking about?"
Fang Chen straightened up with a resolute expression. "I need to retrieve something that's buried beneath this club."
The guard laughed, thinking it was a joke. "Unless you plan on digging through the floor sir, good luck with that!"
Fang Chen nodded thoughtfully. "Okay."
With that, he closed his eyes and activated a cultivation technique.
His qi spread outwards, causing a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. The air grew thick with tension as the ground beneath him began to tremble slightly.
"Piercing Heaven... Divine finger, form one!" Fang Chen's index finger turned extremely sharp like a hot blade.
It looked like one would cut themselves just by staring at it. He pointed it towards the ground, ready to burrow into it.
"What the hell?" the guard exclaimed as his eyes widened in alarm. "Hey! What are you doing?"
Fang Chen paused briefly while turning to stare at him; "You told me to dig... so I'm digging..."
Within moments, other guards converged on his location, sensing the disturbance. "Stop him!" one of them shouted.
Fang Chen moved with lightning speed, evading palm strikes and other attacks from the guards.
His progress was momentarily halted as he faced them. He proceeded to effortlessly disarm and incapacitate the guards with a series of precise strikes.
"Out of my way," he commanded. "I'm just trying to retrieve what's mine."
One of the guards struggled to stand after receiving a strike to the chest from Fang Chen. He swiftly pulled out his smartphone and dialed the police. "We have a situation here at the club," he panted. "There's a guy causing trouble. He's a cultivator."
---
Back at the station, Lieutenant Xiomei was reviewing case files when an officer came in. She listened to him speak as her expression darkened.
"Describe him," she instructed.
The officer proceeded to answer; "According to the call... Long hair, looks like he stepped out of an ancient drama. He's talking about retrieving something underground."
Xiomei's eyes widened in recognition. "Fang Chen," she muttered with a tone of annoyance. "Don't send anyone, I'll take care of it myself."
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