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 danced while moving forward to find himself to find a seat.
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-round couches were placed at fixed positions with a round table at the center of each couch.
The room was lit by colored lights and one of the walls was entirely covered by see-through glass that allowed them to see what was happening on the first floor, the place for regulars.
Fang Chen could see people dancing below and some getting drunk at the bar section.
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.
"Hmm? In the open?" He was quite astonished.
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 requested when the waiter arrived.
"Which of them, sir?" The waiter, a male in his late twenties, dressed in a black and white suit, asked Fang Chen.
"Any drink chosen by you is fine. I just need something pretty good." 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 fifty years old and costs ten 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?"
----ss
During his prime, Fang Chen was wealthy enough to rival even the wealthiest merchant organization and many sects.
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 noticable in this particular environment.
This could only mean one thing...
"Here of all places?" Fang Chen was surprised by this occurrence.
Since the proximity between his position and the vault wasn't too distant he could finally try to string it to his qi 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 was 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.
Fang Chen then made his way back to the entry point of the VIP area. He 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 as 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, a puzzled expression on his face. "VIPs are supposed to be up there. What are you doing down here?"
Chen Feng turned to face the guard, his divine features illuminated by the shifting lights. "I'm looking for something," he replied calmly.
The guard raised an eyebrow. "Looking for something? What could you possibly be looking for down here?"
Chen Feng'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 Chen Feng. "Ah, so it's underground," he murmured to himself.
The guard looked confused. "Underground? What are you talking about?"
Chen Feng straightened up, his expression resolute. "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, good luck with that!"
Chen Feng nodded thoughtfully. "Okay."
With that, he closed his eyes and activated a cultivation technique. His qi spread outwards, causing a noticable 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!" Chen Feng's index finger turned extremely sharp.
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, his eyes widening in alarm. "Hey! What are you doing?"
Chen Feng's paused briefly while turning to stare at him; "I'm taking back what is mine."
Within moments, other guards converged on his location, sensing the disturbance. "Stop him!" one of them shouted.
Chen Feng 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, his voice calm but firm. "I'm just trying to retrieve what's mine."
One of the guards, struggling to stand, pulled out his phone 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. "Chen Feng," she muttered. "Don't send anyone, I'll take care of it myself."