# 133
**Chapter 133: Forbidden Artifact Wielders**
Dawn was breaking.
The fireworks and firecrackers that had been roaring all night still hadn’t stopped. Their explosions echoed through the morning sky.
Creak.
Lin Qiye pushed open the door and stepped out of the office. Behind him, the once-neat “business consultation” hall was now a wreck—empty liquor bottles strewn everywhere.
On the two guest sofas, Wen Qimo and Wu Xiangnan lay like dead dogs, passed out cold. Hongying clutched the last bottle, slumped over the dining table, mumbling in her sleep and giggling.
Si Xiaonan had gone back to the underground bedroom and collapsed into bed. Only Chen Muye, as if nothing had happened, was in the kitchen washing dishes.
As for Leng Xuan… he had vanished before Lin Qiye even woke up.
Lin Qiye rubbed his temples. As a high schooler who had just come of age, his alcohol tolerance was surprisingly solid. Even after drinking with this bunch of lunatics last night, he was still relatively clear-headed this morning.
He walked outside the office and looked at the quiet Heping Bridge street, taking deep breaths of fresh air.
Today was the first day of the Lunar New Year. Even the air seemed to carry a festive scent. Distant firecrackers popped off continuously. Red couplets and “Fu” characters lined the street—everywhere, the flavor of the holiday.
Lin Qiye reached behind the door, grabbed a broom, and started sweeping snow.
As he swept, his brow creased slightly.
The training camp’s break wasn’t long. If nothing went wrong, tomorrow—New Year’s Day Two—would be the last day off. Yet so far, the enemies lurking in the shadows hadn’t made any major moves.
He had faced a few attacks, but most he could handle on his own. Still, he refused to believe that among this wave of intruders, not a single high-level opponent existed.
Moreover, that mysterious Medusa proxy—Snake Woman of the Church of the Ancient Gods—had yet to appear.
Had the instructors already eliminated them in secret? Had they all gone after Baili Pangpang? Or… were they still waiting for the right moment?
He was sure the instructors had taken action over the past days, but he had no idea how the situation had developed.
Cangnan City had undoubtedly become the eye of the storm, and Lin Qiye, standing at its center, was living the calmest life of anyone.
Just as he swept the last patch of snow and turned to go inside, a muffled boom came from afar.
Mixed in with the firecrackers, it didn’t sound too out of place. If Lin Qiye hadn’t seen the thick smoke rising in the distance, he might’ve dismissed it as an illusion.
He narrowed his eyes at the column of smoke.
“That’s…”
…
Boom—!
Boom—!!
Boom—!!!
Several fireballs erupted inside the inn, blasting the aging building to pieces. Amid rolling smoke, three figures leapt from a second-floor window.
Two landed steadily. Only the little fatty thudded onto his rear, then hopped up rubbing his backside.
“You two—wait up! Don’t run so fast!”
Baili Pangpang’s face still bore the flush of drink. He shouted after them.
Shen Qingzhu frowned, gripping the air and instantly evacuating the oxygen from several second-floor rooms. The flames vanished in an instant.
With a flick of his finger, compressed air bullets knocked aside mid-air glass shards and debris, keeping Baili Pangpang safe.
Cao Yuan gritted his teeth, hoisted Baili Pangpang onto his shoulder, and lumbered toward the alley’s end.
“I told you to drink less last night! The enemy’s here and you’re still drunk!” Cao Yuan snapped.
Baili Pangpang hiccupped. “Heh, no worries, my loyal subjects. I told you—my bodyguard team’s watching in secret. Nothing will happen… nothing, hic!”
The moment he finished, four figures burst from the inn, skimmed across the sky, and landed in front of the trio.
Cao Yuan skidded to a halt, one hand reaching for his black case, eyes sharp.
Shen Qingzhu stepped in front of Baili Pangpang without a word, a whirlwind coiling around his fingertips, gaze as cold as an iceberg.
The air turned to gunpowder.
In that tense standoff, Baili Pangpang hiccupped again, grinned, and waved from Cao Yuan’s back.
“Hiya~”
“Earth, Fire, Water, Wind—Forbidden Artifact Wielders—greeting the young lord!”
The four killers dropped to one knee in perfect unison.
Cao Yuan: …
Shen Qingzhu: …
“Rise, my loyal subjects.” Baili Pangpang slid down, patting their shoulders. “Allow me to introduce the Baili family’s four Forbidden Artifact Wielders—my personal bodyguards.”
“Forbidden Artifact Wielders?” Shen Qingzhu’s eyes showed confusion.
“Some high-risk forbidden artifacts can’t be used by just anyone,” Baili Pangpang explained while rubbing his sore butt. “You need someone compatible to draw out their full power. Those people are called Forbidden Artifact Wielders.”
“By the way, that term is pretty much exclusive to our Baili family, since we’re the only ones with so many high-risk artifacts…”
“Each of these four wields an artifact granting peak River Realm strength. Together, they can fight a Sea Realm foe! So I told you—we’re perfectly safe…”
As he finished, the lead Fire Wielder stepped forward and tossed three severed heads to the ground—three River Realm assassins who’d attacked the inn.
“Young lord, all enemies eliminated. As ordered, we booked the entire inn in advance; no civilians were harmed.”
“Well done.”
Baili Pangpang nodded, every inch the rich young master.
At that moment, the Wind Wielder seemed to sense something, frowned, and stepped forward.
“Young lord, more enemies approaching. Please wait here—we’ll return shortly!”
“Off you go.” Baili Pangpang waved.
Whoosh—!
The four vanished, leaving the alley empty except for the three of them.
After a long silence, Cao Yuan muttered, “So this is what real ‘money power’ looks like…”
Shen Qingzhu finally found his voice. Staring at Baili Pangpang, he asked in a tone that doubted reality:
“Then… why did you even need me?”
Baili Pangpang pondered.
“To round out a three-player game of Landlord?”