Ch-186 the danger await or a war

After ending the call with Han Yuki, I stood silently for a moment, my mind already racing through the possible connections and betrayals surrounding the Wine God's death. There were too many pieces out of place — and it was time to start putting them together.

I walked toward the massive wardrobe at the side of my room, pulling out a tailored black suit with gold accents. My fingers ran over the fine material before I shrugged it on. A trip to Vintressa would take three days by airplane — but with a private jet at my disposal, the journey would be smooth enough.

As I adjusted my tie, I picked up my phone and made three quick calls.

The first call connected almost immediately. A soft, composed voice answered, "Raghav?"

"Olivia," I said with a faint smile. "I'm heading to Vintressa. Pack your things — we're leaving in 30 minutes."

There was a brief silence before Olivia's voice sharpened with interest. "Vintressa…? Why?"

"The Wine God is dead. I need to find out why — and who's responsible."

A soft hum came from the other end. "Interesting. I'm coming with you."

"I figured you would." I ended the call and immediately dialed the next number.

A gentle, warm voice answered, "Raghav?"

"Qian Yan," I said. "Get ready — we're going to Vintressa."

"Vintressa? That's across the ocean…" Qian Yan's voice softened. "If you're going, I'm coming with you."

"I expected nothing less." I ended the call with a small smirk and dialed the last number.

A confident voice answered, "What's up, husband?"

"Lao Shandong," I said. "We're leaving for Vintressa. Private plane. 30 minutes."

There was a low whistle. "Sounds serious. Don't worry — I'll be there."

Exactly 30 minutes later, I stood at the private terminal of the airport. A sleek black private jet, marked with the crest of the Ye family, gleamed under the dim airport lights.

Olivia Desmond arrived first, dressed in a fitted red dress and a black leather jacket. Her long, flowing platinum blonde hair framed her sharp violet eyes. "You always know how to make things interesting, Raghav," she said with a small smile as she walked up to me.

Qian Yan followed closely behind, her long, dark hair tied into an elegant braid. Dressed in a flowing white dress with golden embroidery, her calm expression softened as she approached me. "If you're going to start trouble, I suppose I'll have to keep you alive."

Lao Shandong was the last to arrive, dressed in a relaxed black shirt and dark slacks. His silver hair was slightly messy, and a mischievous smile curved his lips. "Tch… A mysterious death, hidden conspiracies, and a rare vintage wine? This is going to be fun."

I stepped toward the plane, the doors already open and the flight crew waiting. "Let's go," I said. "Time to uncover some secrets."

As we boarded the plane, Olivia settled into a seat beside me, crossing her legs gracefully. Qian Yan sat nearby, already looking through her phone for any known political shifts in Vintressa. Lao Shandong leaned back lazily, arms behind his head.

As the engines roared to life, Olivia turned to me with a dangerous smile. "So, Raghav… if this gets messy — what's the plan?"

My eyes narrowed. "We make them bleed."

The plane lifted off into the dark sky, cutting through the clouds as we set course for Vintressa. The game had begun — and I intended to win.

The low hum of the private jet's engines filled the cabin as we soared through the dark sky. Olivia sat beside me, her piercing violet eyes studying me with quiet intensity. Qian Yan sat across from us, her elegant fingers brushing against the rim of a crystal glass of water, while Lao Shandong lounged comfortably with his eyes closed, arms crossed behind his head.

"We'll reach Vintressa in three days," Olivia said, her voice calm but laced with curiosity. "Do you have a plan once we land?"

I leaned back, my fingers tapping against the armrest. "Yuki will have gathered the information by then. The Fang family knows more than they're letting on — and if the Wine God's death isn't random, someone stands to gain from it."

Qian Yan's gaze sharpened. "And you think Fang Lei knows more than she's admitted?"

"Fang Lei is cautious," I replied. "But Fang Hua… she's dangerous. If someone within the Fang family was involved, Fang Hua would be the first to cover it up."

Lao Shandong opened one eye and smirked. "Sounds like you're expecting a fight already."

"I'm prepared for it." My eyes darkened. "If someone dared to kill the Wine God, they've already calculated the cost of war."

Suddenly, Olivia's eyes narrowed. "We have company."

A low beeping sound from the control panel confirmed it. The pilot's tense voice came over the intercom. "Sir, we have an unidentified aircraft approaching from the rear. They're moving fast."

Qian Yan stood up smoothly, her long braid swaying behind her. "How fast?"

"Fast enough to catch us in five minutes."

Lao Shandong straightened up, his smirk widening. "Looks like they didn't want to wait until we landed."

I stood, my gaze sharpening as I walked toward the cockpit. "Can you identify them?"

The pilot shook his head. "No clear markings — but they're armed."

"Armed?" Olivia's expression darkened as she stood beside me. "They're not here for a peaceful conversation, then."

"They're trying to intercept us mid-air," I muttered. "Which means they know where we're going and why."

Suddenly, the plane shook violently as a sharp impact struck the left wing.

"They're firing on us!" the pilot shouted.

"Brace for impact!"

The lights flickered as the plane dipped to the side. Olivia's hand shot out, steadying herself against the wall. Qian Yan's golden eyes narrowed as she raised her hand — golden threads of energy began swirling around her fingers.

Lao Shandong's grin sharpened. "Well, this just got interesting."

I stepped toward the door of the cabin and slid my hand toward my side — the hilt of a black-bladed sword appeared in my palm. My eyes glowed faintly red as the air around me darkened.

"Open the side door," I ordered.

The pilot's eyes widened. "Sir — you can't be serious!"

"I'm not asking," I said coldly.

Olivia's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "Let me handle this."

"You're staying here," I replied. "I'll handle it myself."

The side door hissed open, and cold air rushed into the cabin as the dark sky stretched out below us. A sleek black aircraft hovered nearby — two masked figures stood at the open hatch, one holding a long-barreled sniper rifle, the other gripping a chain-like weapon crackling with blue energy.

I stepped toward the edge, the wind tugging at my clothes. My eyes flashed crimson as dark energy swirled around my feet.

"Who sent you?" I called out.

The masked figure with the chain raised his hand — blue sparks danced along the links. "No witnesses."

I smiled coldly. "Wrong answer."

In a single movement, I launched forward, my blade slicing through the air as dark energy erupted beneath my feet. I appeared directly in front of the masked figure with the chain — his eyes widened as I drove my blade toward his chest.

He barely managed to raise his weapon in time to block the blow, but the sheer force of my strike sent him flying backward into the side of the aircraft. The other figure raised the sniper rifle — but before he could fire, a golden arrow shot through the air and pierced his arm.

Qian Yan stood at the edge of the plane, golden threads of light forming a glowing bow in her hands. "I thought you said you'd handle it alone," she said coolly.

"I changed my mind," I said with a smirk.

The masked figure with the chain recovered and lashed out — blue energy surged toward me, crackling through the air. I raised my blade and sliced through the energy with ease, the black edge of my sword glowing with dark fire.

He lunged at me again — but I sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and twisted. His weapon clattered to the floor as I drove my knee into his ribs, sending him crashing to the ground.

Lao Shandong's voice echoed from the plane. "Careful, Raghav! We don't want them dead yet, right?"

I crouched over the masked man, pressing my blade to his throat. His breathing was ragged as he stared up at me, wide-eyed.

"Who sent you?" I asked softly.

The man's lips curled into a bloody smile. "You already know the answer."

My gaze darkened. "Fang Hua."

The man's smile widened — and then he bit down hard. A faint click sounded.

"Poison!" Olivia shouted.

I pulled back — but it was too late. His body convulsed and then went still.

I stood slowly, the cold wind whipping against my face as I looked toward the other aircraft, which was already retreating into the dark clouds.

"Fang Hua's making her move early," Olivia said as she stepped up beside me.

"And she just declared war," Qian Yan added quietly.

Lao Shandong leaned against the doorframe, his smirk widening. "Well, looks like Vintressa just got a lot more dangerous."

I sheathed my blade and narrowed my gaze toward the dark horizon. "Let her try."

I turned toward the plane, the wind whipping around us. "We're not done yet."

As the door slid shut behind us and the aircraft resumed course, I sat down with a cold smile.

Three days to Vintressa — and it was already starting to get interesting.