Each white-haired elder in Taoist robes trembled as they nervously handed the "Hung Brotherhood" yellow jade badge back to Shawn Young. With a slightly fearful voice, one of them said, "Senior Shawn, my nickname is 'Grand Dragon.' I'm the senior advisor of Hong Kong's Hung Brotherhood. I offended you earlier—please, Senior Shawn, don't hold it against me!" (Note: In the Hung Brotherhood, hierarchy and etiquette are strictly observed; juniors must show utmost respect to seniors, even if they're younger in age.)
"Uh—it's fine! No hard feelings if you didn't know." Shawn Young quickly took the yellow jade badge and replied in the most magnanimous tone he could muster.
Henry Hung had heard from his senior brother, Grandmaster Tyler Xuan, that the reason for giving Shawn Young the 'Hung Brotherhood' yellow jade badge was because Shawn inherited the most mysterious Taoist teachings of the legendary Clear Sky Order. Grandmaster Tyler Xuan, a master of the Oracle of Zhuge, had calculated that Shawn was destined for greatness and closely connected to the Hung Brotherhood. That was why he made such a profound decision, even if it seemed ordinary on the surface.
"Heh—Grand Dragon, now you see I wasn't making things up, right?" Henry Hung said with a grin. (Note: Henry Hung is a senior leader, and Grand Dragon is the most respected advisor among the branch bosses.)
"Yes, yes, I see! Henry, your arrangements this time were spot on!" the white-haired elder nicknamed 'Grand Dragon' replied quickly. In the Hong Kong Hung Brotherhood, Grand Dragon was the most senior, responsible for internal operations and member discipline, making his position especially unique.
Henry Hung stood up, looked around, and announced loudly, "One more thing—let me remind everyone: Shawn Young here just arrived from the mainland and has some important personal matters to handle. All you branch bosses sitting here, you're the biggest snakes in town! If Shawn Young needs anything from you, you'd better cooperate to the fullest!"
"Understood! Absolutely!"
"That's right, Senior Shawn's business is my business!"
"No, you're wrong—Senior Shawn's business is the most important, even more important than our own!" The branch bosses of the Hong Kong Hung Brotherhood all chimed in, eager not to be left behind. After all, getting close to Shawn Young was a jackpot for any triad figure! (Note: The idiom '抱上...大腿' means to latch onto someone powerful for benefit.)
Seeing this, Shawn Young frowned and whispered to Henry Hung, "Uh—Uncle Hung, what I'm doing in Hong Kong this time is pretty secretive. It's best not to let too many people know!"
Henry Hung nodded and addressed the crowd again, "Alright, alright! Stop fighting over this. Let me remind you all once more—Shawn Young's business in Hong Kong is personal and confidential, so he doesn't want his identity or whereabouts getting out! You're all seasoned veterans, so you should know how to handle this!"
Suddenly, Shawn Young shouted, spreading his hands in the Heavenward Seal. A massive red dragon, sparkling with red light, surged out behind him and soared upward. The dragon, surrounded by faint purple light, circled the hall, radiating a fierce and majestic aura. Then, with a twist of Shawn's hand and a shift of his will, the dragon let out a piercing roar, transformed into a beam of red light, and shot back into Shawn's body. In an instant, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. (Note: Such displays of mystical power are rare and command deep respect within triad society.)
The scene left everyone in the Hung Brotherhood, including Henry Hung, absolutely stunned. Fire Bull, who'd fought his way up from a lowly triad foot soldier, was especially shaken by the dragon's overwhelming presence. He trembled, plopped back into his chair, rubbed his eyes, and muttered, "Oh my god, what was that red dragon? Is this some kind of movie? Are mainland sci-fi films more advanced than DreamWorks now? How did they make such realistic special effects?!" (Note: '古惑仔' refers to a triad foot soldier, the lowest rank in the organization.)
Still, Henry Hung understood that the branch bosses were only sucking up to Shawn Young because of Grandmaster Tyler Xuan's yellow jade badge. For these battle-hardened underworld figures, what really impressed them was real ability!
To help Shawn Young build his reputation, Henry Hung deliberately gave him a once-over and exclaimed, "Oh! Shawn, I can sense your spirit is refined and your essence is contained. Your cultivation seems truly impressive! Haha, it looks like you really are a prodigy! No wonder my senior brother Grandmaster Tyler Xuan thinks so highly of you!"
Shawn Young was taken aback, unsure why Henry Hung was suddenly bringing this up. But when he saw Henry giving him a look, it all clicked. He immediately cupped his fists and replied, "Thanks to Grandmaster Tyler Xuan's blessings, my Taoist skills have made some modest progress."
Henry Hung nodded and said, "Yes, that's right. Honestly, my cultivation is nowhere near my senior brother Grandmaster Tyler Xuan's level, but I can still sense that your energy is different from ordinary cultivators. I can't even tell what stage you've reached! So, I'm curious—could you show us a little of your skill and let everyone see for themselves?"
Shawn Young nodded confidently and said, "Alright, since Uncle Hung wants to see, how could I refuse? Watch closely!"
With that, Shawn Young flipped his hands and quickly formed the Heavenward Seal. With a thought, he activated his Celestial Essence, and a faint glow of red mixed with purple enveloped his body, swirling around him.
"Whoa! This... this level—could he be reaching the highest Taoist realm?" Henry Hung was shocked. He never expected Shawn Young, so young, to have cultivated his essence to a level infinitely close to the ultimate realm!
Normally, orthodox Taoist cultivation starts with the white light stage, then red, and finally purple. For Shawn Young to reach such depth at his age was astonishing. Henry Hung himself was a skilled cultivator, and he knew most people would spend over a decade just to get started, and even with talent, it could take decades more to break through. So, for Shawn, 'defying the heavens' was the only way to describe it!
Suddenly, Shawn Young shouted, spreading his hands in the Heavenward Seal. A massive red dragon, sparkling with red light, surged out behind him and soared upward. The dragon, surrounded by faint purple light, circled the hall, radiating a fierce and majestic aura. Then, with a twist of Shawn's hand and a shift of his will, the dragon let out a piercing roar, transformed into a beam of red light, and shot back into Shawn's body. In an instant, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
The scene left everyone in the Hung Brotherhood, including Henry Hung, absolutely stunned. Fire Bull, who'd fought his way up from the bottom, was especially shaken by the dragon's overwhelming presence. He trembled, plopped back into his chair, rubbed his eyes, and muttered, "Oh my god, what was that red dragon? Is this some kind of movie? Are mainland sci-fi films more advanced than DreamWorks now? How did they make such realistic special effects?!"