Chapter 17: The Thunderous Strike

Ninety percent of the attendees froze in shock. At my table, my police academy classmates had all stopped thinking, collectively turning to stone.

"He doesn't agree? Who is he to disagree with someone else's wedding?"

Even Tie Ningxiang, seated beside me, hadn't expected me to pull this stunt. Grabbing the hem of my suit jacket, she whispered anxiously, "Gao Jian, are you crazy?"

"His name is Gao Jian?"

"What kind of background does this guy have? How dare he disrupt the wedding of the Jiang family heir!"

"Never heard of anyone by that name in Jiangcheng. Could he be the son of some out-of-province entrepreneur?"

"Look at his ordinary attire. Doesn't seem like the offspring of any tycoon or magnate."

The room buzzed with murmurs. Every eye was on me.

"Gao Jian, don't do anything foolish!" Onstage, Ye Bing appeared uneasy. She clutched the wedding ring on her finger, fearing the situation might spiral out of control.

As for the groom, Jiang Chen, his expression turned stormy. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he had never faced anything but deference and flattery. Yet here I was, ruining his big moment again, leaving him utterly humiliated.

"What is he trying to do? The ceremony is at this stage, and he's still planning to crash it? Even if Ye Bing would agree, how could he possibly leave this building guarded by eleven security teams unscathed?" Jiang Chen wasn't a fool. Though he often played the role of a reckless playboy, much of it was an act.

His eyes locked onto me, his gaze as sharp as a dagger. Before this, I wasn't even a blip on his radar—an heir born to privilege facing off against a gray-market small business owner like me.

The festive air evaporated. The meticulously planned ceremony was in shambles. The host, trying to salvage the situation, struggled to find the right words. But just as he was about to speak, Jiang Chen snatched the microphone from him.

"I think I've seen you before. Your name is Gao Jian, isn't it?" Jiang Chen's voice echoed through the venue's speakers, giving the illusion of an ambush from all directions.

Standing by the table, I ignored him and calmly lit another cigarette.

"This guy's got guts..."

"He's the first person I've ever seen dare to slap the Jiang family in the face like this."

"Secretary Zhang, dig up everything you can on this man later."

Among the attendees were not only the Jiang family's business partners but also their rivals. The veteran foxes in the crowd sniffed out the unusual.

Seeing I had no intention of responding, Jiang Chen's face darkened further. He had no choice but to address me; he was the main character of the day, the representative of Jiangjin Real Estate, and he couldn't afford to disgrace the Jiang family.

Walking off the stage, the dashing and wealthy groom approached me.

"I, Jiang Chen, am a reasonable man. If you disagree, you must have a reason, right? Explain yourself, and I might accept it. But if you're just here to cause trouble, don't blame me for calling security." His measured words were deliberate, embodying both restraint and dignity befitting the Jiang heir.

Blowing out a puff of smoke, I studied the slight twitch of his eye. I knew the rage within him was fermenting, barely contained.

"A reason to disagree? Fine. I don't think you can make Ye Bing happy."

"What?!" Jiang Chen looked like he couldn't believe his ears. This punk dared to say he couldn't make Ye Bing happy?

"If I can't, do you think you—a guy smoking five-yuan-a-pack knockoff cigarettes—can?"

"Jiang Chen treats me very well. There isn't a man on earth who cares about me more than he does." Ye Bing, dragging her wedding dress, came over. She paused for a moment upon seeing the table of former classmates. She hadn't invited them; Jiang Chen had specially arranged for their attendance from out of town.

"The man who supposedly cares for you the most plans to transfer the ghost bound to him onto you during this grand wedding ceremony. Is that love?" My voice was low, audible only to Ye Bing, Jiang Chen, and the nearby Tie Ningxiang.

"What...what are you saying?" The two women were confused, but Jiang Chen's face turned pale. His anger and panic were no longer concealed.

"He's never loved you. To him, you're a convenient tool. Just like this suit I'm wearing—I hate how stiff it feels, and I'll toss it the moment I leave this place."

"Shut up!" Jiang Chen's clenched fist bulged with veins. His world spun as his darkest secret, the use of a ghost familiar, was exposed—a taboo that could destroy him.

"Gao Jian, it's useless. Let's not waste time on each other anymore. I sincerely wish you find your happiness one day, okay?" Misinterpreting my intentions, Ye Bing thought I was acting out of lingering affection for her.

"Don't worry. Since you left for overseas five years ago, I've given up on that. The only reason I'm stepping up today is to repay a favor. Back then, when I was detained as a suspect in the Rainy Night serial murder case, you were the only one who believed in my innocence."

"Why bring that up now..." Her voice softened as memories of five years ago flooded back. "We've grown up."

"Exactly. That's why I'm only warning you now instead of sacrificing myself to save you like before." Flicking the ash from my cigarette, I stared directly at Ye Bing's dodging gaze. "Remember my words. This is likely the last conversation we'll ever have."

I didn't see the need to linger any longer. My gaze swept past the stunned "old classmates" and fell upon the room full of "guests" with ulterior motives.

This wedding banquet might have been extravagant in cost, but it was utterly devoid of any festive atmosphere. In fact, I had half a mind to snatch the microphone from Jiang Chen's hand and speak my heart: "Pardon my bluntness, but every one of you in this room is trash."

Jiang Chen noticed my intent to leave, and his expression flickered between uncertainty and malice. Letting me go would cause the Jiang family to lose face entirely, but stopping me might stir up trouble, ensuring that the wedding would descend into chaos.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, as I turned to leave, a sinister gleam flashed across Jiang Chen's face.

"Since you're here, why rush off? Stay and have a drink," he said, placing his left hand on my shoulder. In that moment, it felt as though a venomous snake had locked onto me, and an eerie chill began to creep over me.

If I had been watching through the large screen of a mobile phone, I would have seen the ghost tethered to Jiang Chen climbing down his arm toward me. Its malformed little hands were poised to stab into my eye sockets!

A shiver ran through me—this sensation was unsettlingly familiar, reminiscent of that night at the Peaceful Inn when a vengeful ghost had clutched my throat from behind.

Sensing the imminent attack, my instincts kicked in. Drawing on the residual power of the Heavenly Thunder Talisman I had once used, I instinctively curved my hand inward, pressing my four fingers together—index, middle, ring, and pinky—with my thumb clasping their nails from the side. In a single motion, I formed the Palm Thunder Seal.

"Gao Jian, there are some people you'll never have the right to provoke. You're destined to look up to them for life. Today, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget. Later, I'll make sure to toy with you until you beg for mercy!" Jiang Chen hissed under his breath, his words audible only to the two of us as he pulled the microphone away.

"Anger has consumed you, and your true nature is finally showing," I retorted, my mind racing. I quickly realized the source of the chilling sensation behind me. While Jiang Chen muttered an incantation under his breath, I began silently reciting the Thunder Talisman incantation I had learned from Master Liu.

"Still so defiant? Fine, let's start with some interest today! Rip his eyes out!"

The icy sensation intensified, like two daggers stabbing toward my eyes. But there was no way I would stand idly by.

"By the decree of thunder, swift as the stars,

The mighty spirits from all directions shall come to my aid!

With this talisman, I summon the celestial powers,

And banish all evil! Beasts be slain, ghosts be bound,

Unclean spirits shall disperse, and the Dao shall endure!"

The Thunder Seal formed as my palm struck Jiang Chen's arm. Though I held no actual talisman and could not summon the divine forces, the residual power of the Thunder Talisman was entirely channeled into this one strike!

To bystanders, it looked like I had merely patted Jiang Chen's arm gently. In truth, the talisman's residual power directly subdued the ghost, which shrieked and scrambled back into Jiang Chen's body.

Under ordinary circumstances, such an attack wouldn't have been so potent. However, the sun was at its peak, and both the vitality of the crowd and the ambient yang energy were at their strongest. Ghosts, being naturally fragile under such conditions, were even more vulnerable. Moreover, the ghost Jiang Chen had raised wasn't one meant for killing—it was merely an accessory.

Not only did the strike leave me unharmed, but it also terrified the ghost out of its wits. It retreated back into Jiang Chen's body, causing a backlash that drained his energy and blood, resulting in a severe counterattack.

"You—!" Jiang Chen gasped as if struck by lightning. His arm recoiled sharply as he staggered back a few steps before collapsing onto a table and then onto the ground.

To be honest, even I hadn't anticipated such severe consequences from the ghost's backlash. But as the saying goes, one reaps what they sow. For Jiang Chen, I had no shred of sympathy.

"The heir of Jiangjin Real Estate stooping to petty tricks and shameless antics? Surely not. Everyone here saw it—I barely touched you."

Looking down from above, I took in the disheveled figure of the once-arrogant Jiang Chen now sitting half-slumped on the ground. His pristine white suit was drenched in soup and splattered with food, making him look like a bedraggled barnyard chicken.